Reflections
by escapewithstories
Summary: Looking back on the significant, and even insignificant, events of Sharon and Andy's relationship. This is the SEQUEL to "Kismet". AU
1. Chapter 1

**Here is the sequel as promised :)**

 **We begin with a bit of a time leap, but fear not, we will be jumping back in time during each chapter to the important events that occurred during that time. I will not be leaving it all to your imagination like our dear James Duff likes to do.**

 **I hope you all enjoy this as much as you did Kismet. Please leave me some wonderful reviews letting me know what you think.**

 **Thank you IReadAndWriteSometimes, not only for the beta, but for the continuous support, thoughtful feedback, and for 'negotiating' with me to get this chapter done XD**

 **I would also like to thank Stefanie for providing me with the necessary information regarding toothpicks.**

* * *

CHAPTER ONE

Sharon had just finished up her nightly routine and turned out the bathroom light, when she stopped to take a moment to appreciate the sight before her. She stood leaning against the doorway, a small smile tugging at her lips. While he waited for her, Andy sat up against the headboard reading his book. She lightly bit down on her bottom lip when she noticed the reading glasses. He didn't always wear them, claimed he didn't really need them, so she made sure to take the opportunity to ogle him when he did.

Sharon knew that when she joined him, he would place the book, glasses atop it, on his nightstand on his side of the bed. Thinking about how seamlessly Andy fit into her life had her smiling even more. The time between their first date and the decision to move in together a few months ago, had been a wonderful experience. That wasn't to say that they didn't have a few missteps along the way. With his temper and her stubbornness, it was to be expected. The fact that Andy's stubbornness rivaled her own, and both of them were unwilling to give up so easily, helped them to work through the issues, and come out the other side stronger.

Andy glanced up to find her smiling at him. "What?" he asked with a raised brow.

Sharon pushed herself off the doorframe. "Nothing," she said with a shrug of her shoulder, and walked to her side of the bed.

She watched as he marked his place with his bookmark, a ticket stub from a movie they had seen together, and removed his glasses. As expected, he placed the book, with the glasses atop it, on his nightstand. She laughed softly to herself, as she slipped under the covers next to him. Once he turned to her, she placed a chaste kiss to the corner of his mouth. When it seemed as though he was going to question her again, she leaned in and gave him a longer, deeper kiss.

Not giving into her obvious attempts at distracting him, he leaned back out of her reach. "What has you smiling and laughing?" He reached up and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, cupping her cheek in the process.

"Hmm," she hummed, as she leaned into his touch. "Just thinking about how predictable we've become." When Andy's eyebrows rose in surprise, she added, "And how much I have come to love predictable."

"Have I really become that boring?" Andy asked, with a touch of disappointment in his tone.

Sharon let out a small snort laugh. "No, boring would never be a word I would use to describe you, Andrew Flynn." Smiling affectionately at him, she reached up and grasped the hand that was still cupping her cheek. "We have settled into a nice routine, which isn't always so easily done, but I don't always know what to expect either." She let her hand drop back down to her lap.

"That's good." Andy gave her a roguish grin. "I want to keep you on your toes." He understood what she was getting at though. He released her cheek, and let his hand skim down her arm until he reached her hand. He tugged her closer so she could lean into his side. More seriously, he said, "I also like that we have blended our lives together without much trouble," after a pause, he added, "for the most part."

"Did you ever think we'd be here?" Sharon propped her chin on Andy's shoulder to look at him. "I mean, when you asked me out on that first date, did you think we would be sitting here, in our very own bed, almost a year and a half later?"

"I had hoped," he said genuinely. "When I met you, I knew there was something different about you. I didn't want to screw it up." Andy looked down at her and placed a small kiss on the tip of her nose. "It's why I took some time before asking you out."

"I'm glad you did. It gave me a chance to sort through my thoughts and feelings." Sharon reached up and caressed his chest through his shirt. "You caught me by surprise."

"You don't tend to like surprises," Andy commented knowingly.

"That's because I haven't experienced many good ones." A brief look of sorrow flashed across her face before she smiled warmly at him. "You turned out to be a good surprise," she told him reassuringly.

"Yea? Well, I'm full of surprises," he said flirtatiously.

Sharon rolled her eyes at him, but smiled nonetheless. "When you called that next morning, I was afraid you had decided to not ask me out on a date after all." She turned her head and rested it on his shoulder. "You seemed so nervous."

"Can you blame me?" Andy grunted. "I _was_ nervous. I thought you might change your mind over night, and then you started poking fun at me during that call," he said in exasperation.

Sharon snorted. "You made it so easy."

"It didn't make asking you out on that date easy." Though she wasn't looking at him, he jutted out his bottom lip, pretending to pout.

* * *

 _A YEAR AND A HALF EARLIER_

 _Sharon was sitting on her balcony, enjoying the morning view and the warmth seeping through the mug she had cradled in her hands. After her late night, and combined excitement, she didn't get much sleep, so she forewent her usual tea for coffee. She couldn't contain the smile that crossed her face when she thought back on the night before. To say she was pleased that Andy stopped by, even if it was after the show, would be an understatement._

 _Sharon laughed to herself when she thought about his commentary on the fire extinguisher. His joke ended up giving her inspiration for the hideous object. She was planning to make a placard to hang next to it, saying, 'You Only Think You're Hot by Andrew Flynn.' Sharon figured if it hung in an art gallery, it might as well be considered art._

 _She had also been thinking about the orchid he had gifted her. He couldn't know that it was her favorite flower, and that he bought it because it made him think of her, only made it more precious to her. She had made a show of putting it on the front desk, but she was now seriously considering moving it into her office. She spent most of her time in there anyways, and it would be nice to look up every so often and see it._

 _Sharon was startled from her internal reverie by her phone ringing on the table next to her. She saw Andy's name flash across the screen and her heart rate picked up. She had saved his information when he gave her his business card. He had mentioned calling her today, and even though it was still quite early, she had brought her phone out with her just in case. Now, she was happy that she did._

 _"Hello?" Sharon answered, hoping the eagerness in her tone would be undetected over the phone._

 _"Umm, hi. Sharon?" Andy sounded hesitant on the other end of the line._

 _"Yes." She nodded even though he couldn't see her._

 _"Hey, uh, this is Andy. Andy Flynn," he stammered. "You know from the restaurant Sicilia, and," he paused and chuckled lightly, "from various other locations around LA," he said, referencing their multiple encounters._

 _She giggled. "I know who you are, Andy."_

 _"Oh, right." He laughed nervously._

 _"I was expecting you to call today, though I must say, I didn't think it'd be this early," she said teasingly, hoping to ease his nerves. However, it had the opposite effect._

 _"Oh, crap. I'm sorry." His voice faded as though he pulled the phone away to check the time. Then his voice appeared much clearer when he asked, "Did I wake you?"_

 _"No, no. I was awake," she said reassuringly._

 _"I let my excitement get the better of me," Andy admitted. "I wasn't thinking about what time it is," he said sheepishly._

 _"It's really fine. I'm an early riser." Sharon dropped her head into her hand at her foolishness. "I was just teasing and it backfired."_

 _"Good. That's good. I mean," he stammered again, "not about me being dense and it backfiring-" Andy exhaled a calming breath. "I'm glad I didn't wake you."_

 _Sharon laughed at their awkwardness. Though she found it funny, she also missed the easygoing interactions they had between them the night before._

 _When Andy remained quiet too long, probably still scolding himself, Sharon politely prodded, "So," she drew out the word, "I'm guessing you called for a reason."_

 _"Right, I did." Andy laughed, but it sounded hollow. He cleared his throat. "I know it's soon and a little last minute, but I was wondering if you had any plans tomorrow, say around late morning or early afternoon."_

 _"Oh," Sharon said surprised. She didn't expect him to want to go out that soon, but she was pleased that he seemed to be just as eager as she was to see each other again. "I don't actually. Do you have something in mind?" Her smile could be heard in her voice._

 _"I do," Andy confirmed. "I wanted to take you somewhere and grab a bite to eat." More hesitantly he added, "That's if you'd like to go of course."_

 _"I would love to go, Andy," she said, this time not caring if her eagerness was apparent. "What time?"_

 _"Okay, that's great," Andy said excitedly. "Shall I pick you up around 11:00?"_

 _Sharon mentally calculated how long she would need to get back home from mass and factored in the time she would need to change. "That sounds good. I will text you my address." It sounded more like a question than a statement._

 _"Yes, that would be helpful, wouldn't it?" Andy laughed wryly. He was so pleased that she agreed to go out so soon, he had almost forgotten that he didn't actually know where she lived._

 _"Any hints about where we're going, so I can plan my attire accordingly," Sharon not so subtly inquired, hoping to get an idea of what kind of restaurant they would be going to._

 _"Wear something casual and comfortable shoes to walk in," Andy vaguely answered._

 _"That's a shame. I was hoping to go barefoot," she said lightheartedly. Although, in the back of her mind, she was trying to figure out where he would take her on a first date that would require comfortable walking shoes._

 _Andy chuckled. "You could do that if you want, but I wouldn't advise it."_

 _"I will keep that in mind. Until then," Sharon's voice had turned soft, "I will see you tomorrow, Andy."_

 _"I'm very much looking forward to it." His smile could be heard in his voice. "Goodbye for now, Sharon."_

 _. . ._

 _Mass had run over by about ten minutes, and Sharon was running a little behind schedule, but she still had plenty of time to change her outfit. She had instructed Andy to text her when he arrived, and she would meet him downstairs. He was insistent on picking her up at her door, but Sharon continued to refuse. She wanted to avoid any potential awkwardness if possible._

 _Now, she was grateful that she had, for when she informed her daughter on why she couldn't take her to lunch, Emily immediately started in on the questions. Sharon politely shut the bedroom door in her face and locked it, so she could continue getting ready for her date. However, it didn't stop Emily from shouting on the other side of the door. At some point Emily gave up, informing Sharon she was just going to call Nicole and see if she had any information. Sharon had to admit her daughter's persistence was admirable, even when she was being exasperating._

 _Sharon's phone chimed just as she finished touching up her make-up. Andy said he was downstairs waiting. Sharon let out a small laugh when she saw he had even added a little frowny-face, indicating he was still put out at not being able to meet her at her door._

 _Sharon grabbed her jacket and exited her bedroom. She could hear Emily talking on the phone with Nicole. From what she could hear from the one-sided conversation, she did not have more information than Emily did. Sharon smiled at the thought that Andy seemed to be just as willing to keep this burgeoning relationship between the two of them for the time being._

 _Sharon leaned over the back of the couch and placed a kiss on top of her daughter's head. "I'm leaving. Andy is waiting downstairs for me."_

 _Emily looked up at her mother with wide eyes and pulled the phone away from her mouth. "He's not even gentlemanly enough to come to the door?" Emily all but shouted. She then spoke sarcastically into the phone. "What's so wrong with your dad that he can't even knock on a door to pick a lady up for a date?"_

 _Sharon shook her head and smiled coyly at her daughter. "I told Andy not to come up just so he could avoid the likes of you. I did him a huge favor." Her smile widened at the appalled look on Emily's face and when she heard the laughter coming through the phone. "I will be home late. Behave," she called from the front door before closing it._

 _Once Sharon reached the parking garage, she found Andy next to his car, parked in one of the visitor spaces she had mentioned. He was looking down at his phone, frowning. He looked up and smiled when he heard her approaching._

 _When Sharon was close enough that she could hear him without shouting, Andy voiced his ongoing complaint from their texts. "I really wish you would've let me come to your door." He straightened from where he was leaning against the car when she stopped right in front of him, and looked at her with a frown. "It just doesn't feel right waiting for you to come down here."_

 _Sharon smiled sweetly at him, and reached out to pat his chest in a placating manner. "If all goes well this afternoon, I will consider letting you walk me to my door afterward."_

 _Andy scoffed. "You have thwarted my chivalrous tendencies once already, I will not allow it a second time." He gave her a stern look, but there was still a twinkle in his eye. "I'm walking you all the way to your door later, even if we both have a miserable time."_

 _Sharon's laughter echoed off the cement walls, causing Andy to smile widely in response. Neither one of them expected the date to go horribly, nor did they have any doubt that they would both part ways with smiles on their faces._

 _Andy made a production of opening the passenger door for her. He made a swooping gesture with his hand and bowed slightly. "My Lady."_

 _Sharon giggled as she took the proffered seat, and buckled her belt after Andy gently closed the door. She watched as he rounded the front of the car with a huge smile on his face. She thought things were off to a good start, much better than his phone call yesterday._

 _While Andy took his place in the driver's seat and began buckling his own seatbelt, Sharon quietly admitted why she instructed him to wait. "To be honest, I had you wait down here so you could avoid Emily." She chanced a look at him from the side, and found him smiling curiously at her. "She has been firing a million questions at me, and I thought I would be kind and spare you."_

 _Andy chuckled. "From what I have experienced so far, I like Emily. I wouldn't have minded enduring her interrogation." He gave her a lopsided smile._

 _"You say that now," Sharon said with a lilt to her tone, "but you may change your mind after I tell you she was talking with Nicole on the phone when I left." She was smiling at him a little too sweetly._

 _Andy threw his head back in laughter. "That explains how Nicole found out, and why she has blown up my phone with a dozen texts." He lifted his phone for Sharon to see. "She did not listen when I responded to her first one with an 'I'll talk to you later.'"_

 _Sure enough, next to Nicole's name, there was a small number 13. Sharon giggled when she heard Andy's phone chime again, and he groaned in response. Andy quickly turned his phone on silent and placed it in his jacket pocket, before starting the car._

 _"Emily is a force to be reckoned with on her own." Sharon shook her head in amusement and looked down at where her hands were fidgeting in her lap. "I don't know if we will be able to survive both of our daughters." She looked up again with a small smile and shrugged a single shoulder._

 _Andy looked over to see Sharon smiling, but he also detected the concern in her gaze. He knew she was wondering if he thought the meddling was too much. He hoped he would be able to alleviate her concerns._

 _He waved his hand, dismissing the idea, in an attempt to show Sharon he wasn't worried. "I can promise you that the two of them will never come close to the skills of Provenza and Angela. If I've endured the two of them ganging up on me for the past several years," he reached out and grasped one of her hands to give it a squeeze, "I have no doubt we can survive our wayward children." He gave her a wink to punctuate his statement._

 _Sharon's smile softened at his reassurance. "Though I don't know them as well as you do, after meeting the two of them, I'm sure you are right." She turned her hand over and intertwined their fingers, thankful that he seemed to understand._

 _Andy was reluctant to do so, but he needed to release her hand in order to drive them to their destination. So he did, but not before he placed a light kiss across her knuckles, and enjoying the light blush that tinted her cheeks in response._

 _Once they had made it out of the parking garage and onto the main road, Sharon interrupted the comfortable silence in which they found themselves. "So, now will you tell me where we are going?"_

 _Until she had laid eyes on him, Sharon remained uncertain if she was appropriately dressed for the occasion. 'Wear something comfortable' could mean any number of outfits in her closet, because Sharon was not one to wear anything uncomfortable. When she found him wearing jeans and a polo shirt with a leather jacket over it, she internally sighed in relief that her corresponding jeans, light sweater and jacket were the correct choice._

 _Andy briefly turned to her and grinned playfully, before placing his eyes back on the road. "We are headed to one of my favorite places to spend an afternoon. As someone who enjoys cooking, both personally and professionally, I have found this place to be very useful." He noticed the confused expression on Sharon's face when he glanced at her from the side. "Don't worry, you will find out soon. It's not far."_

 _When she had texted him her address the previous day, Andy couldn't believe his luck. Her condo was only about ten minutes away from his house in Silver Lake, and fifteen minutes away from their destination. Add in an extra five minutes for parking, making it a twenty-minute commute. That was short considering LA standards._

 _Sure enough, ten minutes later, Andy was pulling into a metered parking spot on the side of the road. They had driven from her condo in Los Feliz, to just off of Sunset Blvd in Hollywood. Sharon was looking out the window, trying to determine exactly where they were headed. She could see the roadblocks and several white tents behind them just down the road. As she watched Andy reach into his backseat to gather several reusable shopping bags, it all clicked._

 _Sharon's eyebrows rose when she looked at Andy. "The Farmers' Market?" she asked, the surprise evident in her tone._

 _Andy wasn't sure if her surprise was good or bad. "Umm, yea." He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "I love coming here." He began to ramble. "There's a lot of really great stuff, and good food at several of the vendors. I didn't want to wait long enough to make a reservation to take you to a nice restaurant, and," his shoulders lifted briefly, "besides my own kitchen, this is actually one of my favorite places to eat."_

 _Andy continued to gaze at her cautiously. She had turned her gaze from him, back to the blocked off section of the street, and then back to him. He was expecting her to ask him to take her home, when a slow smile spread across her face._

 _"I haven't been to the Farmers' Market in years," she exclaimed. She reached out and gave his shoulder an excited shake. "This is great, Andy."_

 _Andy's eyebrows rose. He didn't expect this level of excitement from her. "It's just the market, not Disneyland," he said on a chuckle._

 _"I know that." Sharon gave his shoulder a light shove. "It's just not what I expected for a first date," she admitted. "Usually it's dinner at a restaurant. This is so much simpler, but at the same time," she laughed wryly, feeling a bit irritated with herself for not knowing how to explain it to him, "perfect."_

 _Andy's smirk softened to an understanding smile. "I know what you mean. It kind of takes some of the pressure off, doesn't it?" he asked knowingly._

 _Sharon sighed in relief. He always seemed to understand. "It does," she said quietly._

 _Sitting across from someone at a dinner table tended to be formal and forced. There was a feeling of being out on display, a sense of expectation, and it made an already nerve-wracking situation more strenuous. The casual atmosphere of the market relieved much of the external pressure, and would allow them to relax and just simply enjoy each other's company._

 _"Shall we then?" Andy asked as he placed his hand on the door handle._

 _"Yes, please." Sharon reached down to grab her purse before exiting the car._

 _Sharon waited while Andy swiped his card for the parking meter. She wrapped her arm around his, and together they walked toward the white tents just over a block away._

 _"The last time I went to a Farmers' Market was," she tapped her chin as she thought back," it must've been before Ricky and Emily were in middle school. This one is so much bigger than that one. Though it was in Echo Park."_

 _"I go at least 2-3 times a month, sometimes more if I can. I've brought Nicole's stepsons a couple of times. They only care about getting their faces painted and buying sweets." Andy rolled his eyes. "These same vendors," he indicated toward the direction they were headed, "have been putting this together for years, and they move locations depending on the day of the week. They can also be found in Atwater Village, Silver Lake, Echo Park, and Studio City. I've been to each location, but the one here in Hollywood," he pointed to where they were located, "always has the most vendors at once."_

 _"Do you have a favorite vendor?" Sharon inquired, wanting to know which ones to particularly keep an eye out for._

 _"Several actually. How about we grab a bite to eat first, then after I will take you by each of my favorite stands, and any you want to see as well," Andy suggested._

 _Sharon nodded in agreement. "Sounds like a plan."_

 _The first block they walked down contained all of the stands that sold produce. There was a variety of fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Andy had pointed out a stand with a sign saying, 'C and L.' He swore they grew the best strawberries, and was adamant that Sharon could not leave without trying them._

 _The second block is where all of the food vendors were located. Andy commented this was his favorite block at the market. He typically purchased several specialty ingredients to use in his recipes at home. One of his favorite vendors was Adam's Olive Ranch. He had several bottles of infused cooking oils at home that he had purchased from there._

 _Sharon found Andy's excitement over various vendors rather adorable. He seemed to be even happier to hear that she was not a particularly picky eater, and was willing to try just about anything. By the time they had reached the end of the block, he had pointed out numerous items that she_ must _sample before they left. She wasn't sure if she would have room for any of it after they ate lunch._

 _When they reached the end of the block, there was a chef, demonstrating how to make a simple omelet. Sharon nudged Andy. "Have you ever given a cooking lesson here?"_

 _"I have," Andy responded coolly, even though she wasn't asking seriously. " A couple of times actually."_

 _Sharon's eyes widened in surprise. She had only been joking, not expecting him to say yes. "Did you volunteer to do it, or were you asked?"_

 _"Frank," he nodded his head toward the man teaching the lesson, "is an instructor at the New School of Cooking. I met him there years ago when I took some classes to learn some new techniques. He had something come up one weekend, and he asked me to fill in for him," he shrugged his shoulders, "so I did."_

 _"What lesson did you give?" Sharon asked, intrigued._

 _"Oh you know, just some of the basics. How to boil water and stuff," he said with a straight face._

 _"Perhaps I should take some lessons from you then." Sharon pressed her lips together, stifling a giggle._

 _Andy raised his brow in question. "Not one for cooking?"_

 _"I'm not horrible, but I don't particularly enjoy it," Sharon admitted. "When the kids were younger, I generally stuck to a rotation of the same meals." She smiled up at him guiltily. "They would eat at a friend's house any chance they could."_

 _Andy chuckled. "Do you feed Rusty the same meals?"_

 _"No, I do not." Sharon frowned at him, but he could still see the smile in her eyes. "After Ricky and Emily both left for college, I began picking up take-out more frequently. It was convenient and easy." She shrugged. "Rusty has always been a little more self-sufficient, and probably knows his way around the kitchen better than I do."_

 _"I will gladly give you lessons anytime," Andy offered._

 _Sharon reached out and gave his upper arm a squeeze. "I just might take you up on that," Sharon warned._

 _Andy gave her a lopsided grin. "Please do." He enjoyed that she seemed to have this compulsion to reach out and touch him. If he was wearing a tie again, he was certain she probably would be tugging at it in this moment. The thought had him fully smiling._

 _After a few more seconds of smiling at each other, Sharon let her hand slide down his arm before finally letting go. They continued walking the remainder of the block, this time Andy guiding her with a palm placed gently against her lower back. When they reached the end, Andy brought them to a halt._

 _"Down that way," he jerked his thumb toward the remaining block, "is all of the artisan stands; jewelry, soaps, and other small boutiques." He tucked his hands into his jacket pockets and looked down at her. "Would you like to take a look, or grab a bite to eat?"_

 _She pretended to ponder the question. "Let's eat, if you don't mind." She looked back toward the food stands they had just walked by. "Passing by all this wonderful food has made me hungry."_

 _Andy shook his head. "I don't mind at all. Do you know what you want?"_

 _There were several international cuisines to choose from - Thai, Mexican, German, and Japanese - or they could even get salads, seafood, or a burger and fries._

 _"I'm thinking I would like to try the enchiladas," Sharon paused and offered a hesitant smile, "and then stop by the homemade ice cream stand for dessert."_

 _Andy gave her a reassuring smile. "Let's go get you those enchiladas then." He held out his arm for her to loop hers through._

 _They were sitting at one of the small patio tables that were set out, having just finished their lunch. Conversation had flowed easily between the two. There was never a moment of awkward silence, nor a moment where either found themselves hoping for the date to come to an end so they could part ways. They had shared stories about when they were younger, Andy's penchant for getting into trouble, and Sharon's adherence to the rules. He had made her laugh when he told stories about his adventures with Provenza. They were polar opposites in so many ways, but shared similar ideals about life and had much of the same interests when it came to books, movies, and music. They both considered their families to be their top priority, particularly their children. They had further discussed those months that he knew Rusty, before he had gone to live with Sharon, particularly what she had found out from Rusty himself. The topic of their previous marriages had arisen, but only briefly. It was enough to know that they both agreed that mistakes were made the first time around, but more importantly they had learned from them. The more they talked with each other, the more their attraction for each other grew beyond just the physical._

 _Just over an hour had passed since they had sat down. Andy had gathered their trash and tossed it in one of the nearby garbage cans. When he returned, he had pulled out a plastic toothpick from his pocket and placed it in his mouth._

 _Sharon had to suppress a groan. He pretty much just guaranteed she would have to actively avoid staring at his mouth and lips for the foreseeable future. It's not like she had been thinking about his lips since that kiss he placed on her cheek outside her gallery on Friday night, or when he gently grazed her knuckles with them in his car earlier._

 _She let out a sigh, and didn't attempt to refrain herself from asking, "You have a thing for toothpicks, don't you?"_

 _"Yea." He shrugged. "Started carrying them around after I quit drinking." Andy pulled the small object from his mouth, and began rolling it between his fingers. "I need something to keep my hands, and occasionally my mouth, busy." He gave her a crooked grin. "When I'm not cooking, I have these." He held it up, pinned between two fingers. "Does it bother you?"_

 _Sharon wanted to say, 'Bother, no. Distract when it's in your mouth, definitely.' Instead she shook her head and smiled reassuringly. "No, it doesn't." She was sincere. "I was just making an observation."_

 _"Would you like to go get that ice cream now?"_

 _Sharon tilted her head to the side as she considered his question. "Actually, I'm quite full from my enchiladas. Could we just stop by the stands you had pointed out earlier, plus a few others?"_

 _"Of course." Andy stood and held out his hand for her, grinning when she took it without hesitation._

 _As they walked hand-in-hand back to Andy's car, Sharon made a confession. "You know, after we met that first time at the dance studio, I was rather disappointed I didn't catch your name."_

 _Andy chuckled. "Me, too. I was already smitten and I had no idea who you were."_

 _Sharon turned her head to hide the pleased smile that reached her face. "I didn't dare ask Emily, because that would've opened the flood-gate to questions that I wouldn't have answers to." Sharon laughed nervously. "So I went online to you restaurant's website, hoping there would be something about you. Imagine my surprise when I found it."_

 _Andy stopped walking and let out a boisterous laugh that drew attention their way. When Sharon looked up at him startled, he released her hand and draped his arm over her shoulders, pulling her closer, and began walking again. "I did the same thing."_

 _"You looked me up on the gallery's website?" Sharon asked, stunned, as she wrapped an arm around Andy's waist._

 _"I did," Andy confirmed with a single nod. He looked down at her and wiggled his eyebrows. "That picture does not do you justice."_

 _She playfully swatted his chest with her free hand. "You're incorrigible." She rolled her eyes, but still smiled, when he seemed to take the comment as a compliment._

 _The more she talked with Andy, the more she realized that they had been on the same page from the start. The attraction was there, but both were hesitant to act on it._

 _When they reached his car, Andy removed his arm from around her shoulders to dig his keys out of his jacket pocket. He clicked the button to open the trunk, so he could stow the items they had purchased. After he closed the lid, he walked Sharon around to the passenger side._

 _Andy opened the car door for her, but just as she was about to take a seat, he blocked her path by bracing his arm against the roof of the car. "Is it too soon to ask if I have earned the right to walk you to your door?"_

 _She looked up at him with a lifted brow, prepared to respond with an equally sarcastic remark, but was stopped short by that knee-weakening smile of his that she was finding harder and harder to resist. Then he shifted that damn toothpick from one side of his mouth to the other, with a flick of his tongue, and she momentarily forgot she was going to say anything at all. She stood there staring at his mouth long enough for him to notice, and his smile only widened. Sharon's eyes narrowed, irritated with herself for allowing him to have the upper hand. Then inspiration struck her, and she knew exactly how she could wipe that cocky smirk off his face. A mischievous smile crossed her lips, and his brows rose in response as he continued to look at her expectantly._

 _She reached up with one hand and plucked the toothpick from between his lips, while grabbing him by the nape of his neck with the other. She pulled his head toward her, as she lifted on her toes, and captured his lips with her own. This kiss was firm but gentle, and she could taste a hint of the strawberry that he had sampled earlier. Andy seemed to recover from his shock and began to respond just as fervently. Just as he grasped her hip to tug her closer, Sharon gave his bottom lip a teasing sweep with her tongue, and then pulled back._

 _"What do you think?" Sharon responded brazenly, finally answering his question._

 _She replaced the toothpick back in his mouth, and ducked beneath his arm to finally take a seat in the car. She couldn't help the satisfied grin that crossed her face when she heard him clear his throat. She buckled her seatbelt and turned to face forward, waiting on Andy to regain his composure and shut her door. She let out a light giggle when she saw him tug at the collar of his shirt as he rounded the front of the car._

 _When Andy took his seat behind the wheel, he made no move to buckle his belt or start the car. Sharon chanced a sideways look and found him staring at her._

 _Sharon turned to him with an innocent expression. "You okay?" she asked nonchalantly. Her tongue peeked out to wet her lips, then she pressed them firmly together in an attempt suppress her smile._

 _Andy's brows rose toward his hairline at her blasé attitude. "Just peachy," he simply replied, before starting the car._

 _Once he was driving on the main road, Andy reached over and grasped her hand where it sat in her lap. He intertwined their fingers and rested their hands on the console between them. Sharon rested her head black and enjoyed the comfortable silence that had settled between them on the short drive back to her condo._

 _After they stepped into the elevator and Sharon pushed the button for her floor, she leaned into Andy's side and rested her head on his shoulder, as they waited for the doors to close and begin the ascent. She let out a contented sigh, and it brought a smile to Andy's face. He turned his head slightly and briefly pressed his lips to her hairline._

 _Sharon sighed again, this one sounding more wistful. "I had a wonderful time today, Andy, thank you."_

 _Andy wrapped an arm around her waist and tucked her more snugly into his side. "It was my pleasure. I had a wonderful time, too." When Sharon responded with an almost inaudible hum, Andy continued on. "I was thinking I would like to cook you dinner one evening. Sometime this week," he paused and ran his thumb nail over his eyebrow, "maybe even tomorrow." Almost on a whisper, he added, "At my place."_

 _Sharon lifted her head from his shoulder and stared at him in surprise. "Tomorrow? At your place?"_

 _It's not that she was opposed to seeing him again, she was rather looking forward to it, but she didn't expect for him to ask for it to be so soon. She also wasn't sure what he expected while having dinner at his place._

 _"Too soon?" Andy asked sheepishly. "Perhaps later in the week would be better. Or," he paused, dreading even suggesting it, "maybe next week." It was evident in his tone he wasn't keen on waiting so long._

 _"No, it's not that, well," Sharon laughed nervously and dropped her gaze to the floor, "it is that. I'm just surprised is all." She looked back up at him with uncertainty._

 _The elevator dinged, signaling their arrival on her floor. When the doors opened, Andy gestured for Sharon to exit first. He placed a hand at the small of her back and followed her lead as she walked toward her door._

 _"If it's too soon, I understand." He gave a shrug. "I just enjoy spending time with you. And if you don't want to come to my place, I can take you out somewhere, I don't mind."_

 _Sharon's expression softened. She stopped walking and turned toward him. "I enjoy spending time with you, too. Even more than I expected," she admitted quietly. "We have a busy day tomorrow contacting the bidders from the charity event." She shrugged her shoulder. "I don't know when I will be done. But," she reached out and adjusted the collar on his shirt, "if you don't mind postponing for a couple of days, say until Wednesday, I would love for you to cook for me." She paused only briefly before, with a small smile, adding, "at your place."_

 _A huge smile spread across his face. "I don't mind postponing for a couple of days." Hell of a lot better than waiting over a week, he thought. "It just so happens I work the lunch shift on Wednesday and I'm off that evening."_

 _"Okay then," Sharon said with a smile matching his own. "It's a date." She grabbed his hand and led him the remaining distance to her door. She stopped just to the left of her door, just in case prying eyes decided to look out the peephole. "I will be seeing you soon, and hopefully hearing from you sooner."_

 _She released his hand and reached out to grab the bag of items that she had purchased from the market, but Andy didn't immediately release it. He gave the bag a light tug causing her to step closer to him. He reached up to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear, then slid his hand into the soft tress of her hair, lightly gripping the back of her head. He gently tilted her head until she was looking at him. He locked eyes with her and gazed intently at her as he slowly lowered his head towards hers. Sharon's eyes slipped closed when Andy's lips lightly brushed against her in a soft caress, so soft it could hardly be considered a kiss. He nuzzled her cheek with his nose as he moved his lips right next to her ear._

 _"You can count on it," he said huskily. The tremor he felt run through her body emboldened him. He placed a lingering kiss right below her ear before stepping back. He smirked at the dazed look in her eyes. She may have caught him off guard at the market, but Andy was certain he had won this round. "Goodbye, Sharon."_

 _His farewell startled her out of her trance and she smiled shyly at him. "Goodbye, Andy." She shook her head as she watched him saunter off toward the elevator, clearly pleased with himself. She laughed quietly as she pulled her keys from her purse and unlocked the door._

 _Emily stepped around the corner from the kitchen when she heard the front door open. She immediately began bombarding her mother with questions. "How was it? Did you have a good time?" She was firing them off in rapid succession. "Did he walk you to the door? Did he kiss you goodbye?" She asked teasingly._

 _Sharon just walked past her and into the kitchen without answering a single question. She deposited the bag on the counter, and with her back to her daughter, started to unload it._

 _When Emily huffed, Sharon smiled to herself. She was going to enjoy tormenting Emily with her lack of sharing._

 _Emily came up and stood next to her. "What's that?"_

 _Sharon rolled her eyes. "What does it look like? Some strawberries, avocados, and a peach cobbler." She began storing the items away in the appropriate places._

 _"Groceries?" Emily all but shouted. "He took you to buy groceries?" Her tone matched the appalled look on her face. "Could the guy be any more boring? No wonder it took him so long to ask you out, he has no game." She flung her hand out in the direction of the items her mother just put away. "I can't wait to let Nicole know her dad is a dud." She plopped down on one of the stools._

 _While Emily was ranting, Sharon had folded up the empty bag and placed it in a drawer. Andy had assured her he had plenty, and didn't need it back anytime soon. When she stood straight again, she smiled sweetly at Emily, effectively ending her tirade. "I had a wonderful time with Andy today, and I look forward to seeing him again." She gave her daughter a pointed look before adding, "You can pass that along to Nicole as well."_

 _She left Emily with a dumbfounded look on her face and headed toward her bedroom._

 _Emily's shouting had drawn Rusty out of his room. He crossed paths with Sharon in the living room, just outside the kitchen. "What's her problem?" He peered around the corner at Emily where she still stood with a confused look on her face._

 _Sharon just scoffed and shook her head, indicating she did not intend to elaborate on the matter. "I'm going to go change, you two should pick out a movie for us to watch." She gave his arm a squeeze and left him standing there confused as well._

 _Rusty entered the kitchen with his hand raised in a questioning gesture. "What's going on?"_

 _Emily let out what could almost be considered a growl. "I can't decide if mom and Andy are the two most boring people on the planet, or if there was more to this date than mom is letting on." She let out a huff before she stood and headed towards the cabinets. She started opening doors with jerky movements, gathering bowls and the popcorn to pop, because she heard her mom mention watching a movie, all the while mumbling something unintelligible under her breath._

 _Rusty rolled his eyes at his sister's petulance. "I'm pretty sure I don't want to know about anything that involves the words 'mom,' 'Andy', and 'date'." He turned, with a disgusted look on his face, to do as his mother asked and find a movie they would all enjoy._

* * *

"I was so nervous about that first date," Andy said wistfully as he scooted down to lay on his back. "It turned out pretty great though."

"It was a wonderful first date," Sharon confirmed. Then she giggled before adding, "Despite what our daughters say." She lowered herself as well to lay next to him, her head pillowed on his shoulder.

"Nicole harangued me for an hour after she talked to Emily. It didn't help that I refused to give her any details." Andy rubbed a hand over his face. "Kids," he huffed. "They just don't understand the power of subtlety."

"Hmm," Sharon hummed in agreement. "Any grand gestures would've been overwhelming for a first date, and a simple dinner at a restaurant would've been," she paused to figure out the right word, "boring," she said teasingly, referencing his earlier concern.

Andy rolled over so that she was beneath him. "And we have already concluded that I'm not boring." He wiggled his eyebrows at her before placing a kiss against her nose.

Sharon giggled. "Don't let it go to your head." She reached up and brushed her fingers through the hair at his temple.

His expression turned more serious. "Finally asking you out was one of the best decisions I ever made."

She smiled warmly at him. "I most definitely agree." She tugged his head down, pressing her lips firmly to his.

-TBC-


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all so much for the follows, favorites, and wonderful reviews. I am so pleased to hear you are enjoying the sequel so far. Y'all are truly the best.**

 **I took inspiration from Tony's personal life for this chapter, and I hope y'all will like it 😺**

 **Thank you to IReadAndWriteSometimes for the beta and for being my biggest supporter. These stories would not be possible without her help. Since she has been enjoying teasing you readers about this story, I would like to say that if you're not currently reading her story 'Take the Plunge', you should go give it a look. There are several exciting chapters to come, and y'all will love it!**

* * *

CHAPTER TWO

Sharon gently removes the arm from around her waist, and quietly slips out of bed, hoping to not disturb Andy. She liked to give him a few extra minutes of sleep when he had a late night at the restaurant, like the night before. However, Andy generally woke soon after, once he realized she was no longer in bed next to him. She quietly closes the bedroom door behind her, and tiptoes down the hall toward the kitchen. When she passes Rusty's door, she sees that it is still closed, indicating he was still asleep. It didn't surprise her, for it was still rather early for a Saturday.

Sharon liked to take advantage of these quiet mornings when she could, and sit on the back patio with a cup of tea. She took the time to center herself and mentally prepare for the rest of the day. Draping the shawl that she keeps hanging by the door over her shoulders, she grabs her tea. She opens the door and breathes in a lungful of the crisp morning air. It was starting off to be a good day.

Just as she prepares to step onto the patio, she notices something lying on the doormat. She quickly retracts her foot so as not to step on it. Her shoulders slump when, upon further inspection, she realizes it's a dead pigeon.

Her head snaps up when she hears a light meow coming from a few feet in front of her. Sharon narrows her eyes at the big orange tabby cat when she sees him draped across the top of the patio table. He rolls on his back and reaches a paw out in her direction, clearly proud of himself for his catch. Sharon groans and quickly turns back around, shutting the door with more force than necessary.

She deposits her mug on the dining room table, and promptly heads in the direction of the bedroom. She's not as concerned about being quiet this time. When she approaches the bed, she picks up her pillow and throws it at Andy, hitting him in the face.

Andy jolts up, his light snores becoming snorts. "What?" he shouts and rapidly scans the room until his eyes settle on Sharon on the opposite side of the bed. He quickly deduces she's upset when he sees the scowl on her face, and her hands braced on her hips. "What's wrong?" he asks sleepily, rubbing a hand over his face.

" _Your_ cat left another gift by the door." She flings her hand in the direction of the back door then drops it down to her side, smacking her thigh in the process.

Andy groans and flops back down onto his pillow, throwing his arm over his face. "He never did this until you moved in," he mumbled. When he was met with silence, he peeked out from underneath his arm to find her glaring at him. "You want me to pick it up now?" he asked, exasperated.

She stood straighter and smiled sweetly at him. "That would be appreciated, thank you for offering." Her tone dripped with sarcasm. She turned on her heel and exited the room.

"He leaves those presents for you, not for me," Andy grumbled at her retreating form, thinking she couldn't hear him. He startled when her head peeked back around the door.

"If you think for one second I am cleaning up the dead pigeons that _your_ cat leaves on the doorstep, you are gravely mistaken."

There was more than enough warning in her tone for Andy to wisely keep his mouth shut. Instead, he slowly rose from the bed and followed her out of the room, but not without at least expressing his displeasure with a deep sigh.

The frequency in which the 'gifts' were being left at the door had increased enough that Andy began keeping an oven mitt and large grilling tongs in a bin, just outside the door. It made the process of disposing of the remains in the dumpster much easier.

As he passed by the cat, who was still lying on the table, he gave his ear a good scratch. "Keep 'em coming, buddy," he whispered just in case Sharon was within ear shot without him knowing, "she loves your gifts." Andy smirked when the cat purred loudly in response.

When he stepped back inside, Andy found Sharon looking through the fridge, most likely in search of something for breakfast. He took a moment to admire her attire. She was still in her cashmere nightgown and matching robe.

Andy walked up behind Sharon and placed his hand on her hips tugging her back into his chest. "The patio is dead-pigeon-free now if you want to go sit and enjoy your morning tea." He placed a kiss on the back of her head.

Sharon sighed as she leaned back into him. "No, that's okay. The moment has passed," she said disappointedly. "I was going to make breakfast instead."

Andy turned her with a gentle nudge of her shoulder. When she looked up at him, he placed a light kiss on her upturned lips. "How about I make you the french toast you love so much, as an apology?"

Sharon draped her arms around his neck. "You don't have to do that. It's not like you told him to leave a dead pigeon on the doorstep."

Remembering his earlier words of encouragement, Andy turned his head and attempted to disguise his laugh with a cough. He looked back at Sharon with a straight face. "I really don't mind. Consider it a thank you for putting up with the scoundrel."

Sharon giggled and placed a kiss on the tip of his chin. "If you insist." She let her hand slide down his arms and gave his hands a squeeze before stepping around him to sit on one of the stools at the bar top. "I don't know why _that_ _cat_ feels he needs to leave animal carcasses on the doorstep in the first place," she said with annoyance.

Andy barked out a laugh. Sharon complained about him often, but he knew she had a soft spot for the battered tomcat. Andy had found the two snuggled together in a patio chair on several occasions. Not to mention, one of the reasons she and Rusty had moved into his house, rather than him moving into her condo, was because her condo was not outdoor-cat-friendly.

"I told you he didn't do it until you moved in. He has a thing for you." Andy winked at her. "It was love at first sight."

* * *

 _WEDNESDAY AFTER THEIR FIRST DATE_

 _Sharon pulled up and parked in Andy's driveway, next to his car. She looked at the time on her phone and noted she was right on time. During their phone call the night before, Andy had told her, even though he was preparing dinner at his house, he had half a mind to pick her up and drop her off_ at _her front door, just for making him wait downstairs for her before their first date. When she laughed and told him she'd rather cancel dinner than have him go out of his way to give her a ride, he quickly disregarded the idea._

 _As she walked along his walkway to his front door, Sharon noted how nice the day had turned out to be. It had been unusually hot for this time of year, but now the temperature had cooled off, making for a pleasant evening outside._

 _When Andy answered the door, Sharon immediately laughed at the sight before her. She couldn't believe he remembered her off-handed comment about essentially wanting to see him in a chef hat, but here he was standing in his doorway with one of them atop his head and a cheesy grin to match. He also wore one of his work jackets, but with a pair of jeans rather than his normal work pants. Sharon figured he would remove the jacket once he finished preparing dinner._

 _"You don't like my outfit?" Andy asked, as he clutched his chest feigning offense._

 _"I love the outfit," Sharon assured him with another giggle. She reached up and lightly traced his forehead, just beneath the hat's edge. "It's very becoming of you," she said teasingly._

 _"I'm glad you like it." He winked at her, and then stepped to the side to let her in._

 _Once inside, Andy helped her out of her jacket, and hung both it and her purse on the hooks by the door. When he turned back to her, she was standing with her hands clasped in front of her, smiling warmly at him. He realized then just how much he had missed her during the last few days since their first date. He also remembered that last kiss he gave, intended to tease her, but it also left him wanting more. Andy decided he didn't want to wait any longer for more._

 _He reached for her hands, untangling one of them from their collective grasp, and tugged her closer to him. He wrapped his other hand around her waist, anchoring her to him, as he connected his lips to hers. It wasn't a gentle kiss, nor was it overpowering. It was just enough to convey how much he had missed her. She must have felt the same because she immediately wrapped her arms around his neck, and responded in kind._

 _Andy lifted his head and smirked down her. "Hey." He pecked her lips lightly. "It's good to see you."_

 _"Hmm." She rubbed her lips together, before they twitched toward a smile. "It's good to see you, too." She slid one of her hands around, and wiped off the lipstick that had transferred to his lips, with her thumb._

 _Andy placed a kiss to her thumb before she pulled it away. "Shall I show you around the place?" He nodded behind him, towards the rest of the house._

 _"Okay," she simply responded._

 _He turned them, and when they stopped just on the threshold between the entryway and the living room, he held out his arms. "This is my house," he said proudly and in a way that indicated that was the extent of the tour._

 _"Thank you for the impressive tour," she said with laughter in her tone. When Andy continued to look at her expectantly, she added, "It's a lovely home," and she meant it. He gave her a lopsided grin in response._

 _From where they were standing, she had a perfect view of the living room, and the dining room. Next to the dining room, she could just barely make out the edge of a bar top counter and stool. She figured the kitchen must be around that corner._

 _The area was decorated in warm, neutral tones, and it had a very inviting feel. Pictures adorned the walls and he had some tasteful lamps providing the additional lighting. For him to live alone, it was much less masculine than she expected. The large brown leather sofa and matching recliner were the only items that seemed out of place. Sharon figured he only had comfort in mind when he bought them._

 _On the opposite side of the living room, a door was open and it lead to the back yard. Sharon could see a cloth-covered table with empty glasses and lit candles atop it. He clearly planned for them to enjoy their dinner outside, and that had Sharon smiling._

 _A chiming noise went off in the kitchen. "Oh, I need to go check on that. I'd hate to burn the first meal I cook for you." With a wave of his hand, he said, "Feel free to look around."_

 _Sharon gave his upper arm a squeeze, and her hand slid down it as he walked away. She could honestly see everything in the room from where they stood, but she wanted to take a closer look at the pictures. Most of them were of his children and step grandchildren. She recognized Nicole and the boys, and assumed the young man that looked like a younger version of Andy, was most likely his son, Nathan. Then there were a few pictures of him and Angela._

 _One of the walls contained a large collage of black and white photos, and a framed map. When she got closer, she noticed it was a map of Sicilia, Italy. Upon further inspection of the photos, she realized they were originals. They were mostly of families standing in front of houses and old-fashioned cars. There was one of a middle-aged man standing in front of a bakery, pointing at the 'Grand Opening' sign._

 _"Is this some of your family in these photos?" Sharon spoke loud enough for her voice to carry into the kitchen._

 _The rustling noises in the kitchen subsided when Andy stepped around the corner, standing in the dining area, to see what photos she was referring to. "Um, yea, my parents and grandparents. Nicole put that together for_ _me. A small homage to our family and heritage."_

 _Sharon smiled as she stood up straight form where she was leaning to look at one of the lower photos. "That was really thoughtful of her."_

 _"It was," Andy agreed. "I'm almost done with dinner," he hooked his thumb over his shoulder, pointing_ _towards where he had been working, "then we can move out back to eat."_

 _"Okay." Sharon made her way towards him. When she stepped around the corner, she stopped in her tracks. "Oh, wow."_

 _To say his kitchen was massive would be an understatement. She didn't see it before because there was a wall between it and the living room. On the living room side, that wall held pictures. On this side, it was covered top to bottom with cabinets and the refrigerator. On the opposite side of the kitchen, there was a large gas cooking range, a double oven, and more cabinets. Andy was working in the center of the kitchen at a large island that encompassed much of the area. He had clearly remodeled it, installing top end hardware and appliances._

 _Andy had looked up when she walked in, and grinned when he saw the surprised look on her face. He had seen that same look from everyone who stepped foot into his kitchen for the first time. "I told you, I like to cook. Need a proper work space for that."_

 _"I thought all one needed to cook was a stove and some pots and pans," she said teasingly._

 _"Which I have," he quipped_.

 _Sharon laughed softly. "Seems you have a few extra things as well." She waved her hand in a circular motion._

 _"Yea," he shrugged sheepishly. "I remodeled about five years ago when I bought the house. Finally got my dream kitchen in my own home."_

 _Sharon's brows furrowed in confusion. "I thought you said you've lived here almost twenty years," she asked, referencing a conversation they had during their first date._

 _"I have," he confirmed, "but most of that time I was renting it from an elderly woman. When she moved_ _into an assisted living center, she offered to let me buy it for a really decent price, so I did. Then I started to remodel or update the place room by room. This was item number one on the list."_

 _"Everything I've seen so far looks amazing."_

 _"Thank you." Andy smiled, almost shyly._

 _"Is there anything I can do to help?" Sharon offered._

 _"Nah," he waved her off, "I was just plating this, and I'm now finished." He wiped off a drop of juice from the edge of one plate with a dishtowel. "Would you like a glass of wine? The only other thing I have is water."_

 _Several emotions flitted across her features. "You have wine?" Sharon asked, a hint of disappointment evident in her voice._

 _Andy's face fell. "Uh, yea. I brought some home from the restaurant." He nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "I, uh, thought you might like a glass or two with_ _dinner." He shrugged. "I asked Ang which one was your favorite, and she gave me the right bottle." He now rubbed his chin with two of his fingers, thinking he may have been a bit presumptuous. "I figured you could take what was left home with you, or leave it here," he cleared his throat (yup, he was being presumptuous), "for the next time you were over."_

 _Sharon's features softened. "I'm sorry." She held up her hand in an apologetic gesture. "I initially thought_ _you just had a bottle lying around, and since you're, uh," now it was her turn to ramble, "in recovery-" she stopped and shook her head. "I would love a glass of wine, Andy." She let out a regretful sigh. "Thank you for being so thoughtful."_

 _Andy's shoulders sagged in relief; glad it was just a misunderstanding. "It's my pleasure." He turned to the set of cabinets next to him, and pulled down a wine glass._

 _"Did you bring glasses from the restaurant as well?" Sharon lightly joked, hoping to insert some levity back between them._

 _Andy looked up as he was twisting the corkscrew in. "Actually, I did." He smirked when Sharon's eyes widened in surprise. "Ang kept complaining about having to drink her wine out of a coffee mug when_ _they came over for dinner. She swore it made the wine taste funny." Andy gave an exaggerated eye roll. "Instead of buying her own glasses, she demanded I buy them for her to keep here." His voice was slightly strained as he pulled the cork out. "So I grabbed a few from the restaurant instead." He smiled mischievously at her. "What's the point of being the owner if you can't take home a few of the dishes."_

 _Sharon laughed softly. "I can't think of any better perks in owning a restaurant." She reached out and accepted the glass Andy was handing her. "So, what's on the menu tonight?" She nodded toward the food he had been preparing._

 _"Nothing fancy." He pointed at each of the dishes. "Just some baked tilapia, parmesan-crusted asparagus, and fresh bread. I didn't leave work as early as I had hoped," his mouth turned down in a slight frown, as he shrugged, "so I had to throw something quick together."_

 _"Don't be ridiculous," Sharon admonished as she stepped to stand next to Andy. "This looks amazing, especially if this," she motioned toward the plates of food, "is what you consider to be quickly thrown together." She nudged him lightly with her elbow. "I would love to come back and see what you could whip up when you have ample time on your hands." Her eyes twinkled when she looked up at him. "I could have another glass of wine from the bottle you'd keep here for me."_

 _"That could be arranged," Andy said roughly, as Sharon leaned into him, obviously intent on kissing him._

 _It was slow and lingering. He thought she might be trying to apologize for her earlier assumptions about the wine. It was truly unnecessary. He gave her a second kiss, this one_ _briefer, before she could completely pull away._

 _He gave her hip a squeeze before stepping around her towards the dining table. "Just let me get this jacket off, then we can head out take a seat on the patio."_

 _"Okay," Sharon agreed eagerly. She turned to look at the plates and couldn't wait to taste what he had prepared. "Do you need me to carry anything out?" she offered her help again._

 _"If you don't mind grabbing that pitcher of water," his voice sounded briefly muffled, "that would be great."_

 _Sharon looked just in time to see him finish tugging a lavender knit sweater over the undershirt he had been wearing. He must've had it draped over one of the chairs and she didn't notice. She lost her train of thought as she continued to ogle him while he straightened the hem around his hips. He looked really good in that sweater. When she returned her gaze back to his face, she found him smirking at her, clearly pleased that he caught her staring. She felt the heat rise in her cheeks, as she turned to grab the pitcher that he mentioned, trying to ignore the fact that she'd been made. She still managed a small smile when she heard him chuckling lowly behind her._

 _When they reached the patio, Andy set down both of their plates, then pulled out Sharon's chair for her. "I hope you don't mind eating out here, but it turned out to be a really nice evening."_

 _"It's perfect, Andy, really." Sharon brushed her hand across his forearm as she took her seat. "Thank you so much for doing all of this." She motioned towards the table and food. "Everything just looks so wonderful," she exclaimed._

 _"I'm happy to hear that," Andy said as he also sat down._

 _Sharon suddenly snorted. "Emily would be much more impressed than she was about our first date."_

 _Andy gave her a bland look. "Nicole wasn't impressed either. Told me the Farmers' Market was no place to take a lady on a date."_

 _Sharon laughed softly. "I think Emily was mainly upset that I didn't share any details." Her eyes sparkled._

 _Andy huffed out a laugh. "Our daughters are far too much alike."_

 _"I'm glad that they are friends," Sharon said quietly. It would definitely help things in the future if this relationship continued to go well._

 _"Me, too," Andy earnestly agreed. "Nicole mentioned she has been helping Em look for her own apartment." Andy picked up his fork when he saw Sharon reach for hers. "Has she found one yet?"_

 _Sharon took a bite of her tilapia and her eyes closed as she hummed. When she swallowed the bite, she opened her eyes and looked over at him. "This is so delicious, Andy." She smiled in amazement._

 _Andy chuckled. "I'm glad you like it." There was no greater compliment for him as a chef, than actually seeing someone truly enjoy his cooking._

 _"To answer your question," Sharon said after a second bite, "she thinks she has found a place and expects to be moving in the next month or so."_

 _They spent the next half hour enjoying their dinner and easy conversation. Sharon had gushed over the asparagus as well, saying she had never tasted any as good. Andy could tell she was sincere, and not just offering up empty compliments. He appreciated that she was always genuine and honest, it was something else they shared. The main topic of conversation had been shared stories_ _about their travels outside the country. Sharon had visited several countries when she worked as the director of the museum, and Andy had taken a trip to Italy to see where his family was from. He shared with her what he called his 'Future Travels Bucket List', and commented that he had yet to make a dent in it because he was always working. A few of the destinations on his list were places Sharon had yet to see, but hoped she would get the chance, too. They both agreed they needed to work harder at making their plans happen, particularly Andy._

 _When Sharon drank the last sip of her wine, Andy pointed towards her empty glass. "Would you like some more?"_

 _"Oh, no." Sharon covered the rim of her glass with one hand_. _"The one was perfect," she assured him. "Thank you though."_

 _"I'm going to go put these in the dishwasher then." Andy began gathering their dishes to take inside._

 _"Can I help you?" Sharon asked as she reached for her plate, but Andy grabbed it just before she did._

 _"Nope." He emphasized the word with a pop to the 'p'. "It won't take me long. You just sit and relax." He leaned down and kissed her temple. "I will be right back."_

 _Sharon took the time to really look over his yard and back patio. It was clean and well maintained, just like the inside of the house. There were a few rose bushes and other shrubs, but other than that, it was rather sparse. It wasn't a large yard, and it mostly consisted of the covered deck where she was currently seated. There was ample seating, not including the table and chairs where they had eaten dinner. The deck also had built-in benches, which surrounded a fire pit. Sharon thought it was a really nice area, perfect for entertaining guests during a party._

 _"Oh!" Sharon was startled when an animal jumped up on the table in front of her._

 _Once her initial panic had passed, and Sharon realized she indeed was not under attack, she got a better look at the creature in front of her. It was a gigantic orange tabby cat, staring back at her with only one eye. She could also see that one of its ears, well, what was left of it, was mangled, and it had several scars on its head and chest where its hair hadn't grown back. The thing reached out for her hand with its paw, in an attempt, Sharon guessed, to get her to pet it. Instead, Sharon scooted further back in her chair, as far from its reach as possible, and eyed it suspiciously. She wondered whom it belonged to, if anybody._

 _Andy glanced at his watch as he stepped back out on the deck. It was still rather early, and he hoped Sharon didn't intend to go home just yet. "Did you want to stay out here, I could light a fire, or would you prefer to go inside and maybe watch a movie?" When Sharon didn't respond, and kept her back to him, he became a little concerned. He stepped around the side of her chair to get a look at her. "Sharon," he slid his hand beneath her hair and gently massaged her neck, "you okay?"_

 _"Hmm." She slightly turned her head toward him, but her gaze remained forward. "We have a visitor." She nodded towards the table in front of her._

 _It was then that Andy noticed what, or rather whom, she had been staring at. Andy clucked his tongue in disapproval. "Hey, you mongrel." He removed his hand from her neck and reached out for the cat. "You know you're not supposed to be on the table." He picked the cat up and cradled him in his arms, much like one would hold a baby, giving his chin and ears a good scratch._

 _"That's_ your _cat?" Sharon asked incredulously. "I did not picture you as a cat guy." It turned in Andy's arms to look at her again and purred louder. She grimaced in return. "Where did you find that thing?"_

 _Andy's eyes briefly widened at her response, then he grinned crookedly at her. "I found him outside the restaurant, hiding behind the dumpster, about 9 years ago. He was a scrappy little thing," Andy said affectionately. "He had been attacked and mauled," he indicated to the scars Sharon had noticed earlier, "most likely by a dog. I couldn't just leave him there all mangled, so I took him to the vet to get him fixed up. They couldn't save the eye though." His brow knit momentarily before he smiled reflectively. "I brought him home with me while he healed, and the little guy stuck around." Andy shrugged. "So I took him to get neutered and all of his vaccinations. Now here he is,_ huge _, and as cuddly as ever." Andy tugged him closer to his chest to prove his point._

 _"Does he sleep in your bed with you?" Sharon internally winced. Of all the questions to ask, that's the one she voiced._

 _Andy barked out a laugh. "No. He's definitely an outdoor tomcat. He only comes inside occasionally to say hello, or to escape the heavy rain. If I accidentally lock him in," Andy rolled his eyes and heaved a sigh, "he will scream the place down until I let him back out."_

 _Sharon was relieved by the news. If she were to ever stay the night with Andy in the future (which she could admit to herself was looking more and more likely), she would hate to also share the bed with a cat. Particularly one that wouldn't stop staring at her the way this one was._

 _"He really is unfortunate looking," Sharon said almost sympathetically._

 _Andy smiled roguishly. "And that's why I named him Louie."_

 _Sharon snorted a giggle. "I'm sure the Lieutenant just loves that."_

 _"Oh, it annoys the crap out of him," Andy said gleefully. "Almost as much as this guy in general." His smile was all too cheerful. "That's the added bonus of keeping him."_

 _"Of course you would think that." Sharon smiled up at Andy indulgently. When she looked back down at the cat, she frowned. "He won't stop staring, and it's freaking me out."_

 _"I think he might be infatuated with you." Andy winked at her. "I can understand the sentiment."_

 _"I can assure you, it's only mutual for one of you." She smiled coyly at him. "I'll leave it to you to determine which."_

 _Andy chuckled lowly as he set Louie down. He then leaned over Sharon, bracing one hand on the table and the other on the back of her chair, and looked at her intently. "I think I already know which one." His gaze dropped when her tongue peeked out to moisten her bottom lip. His mouth twitched toward a smile._

 _Sharon reached up and draped a hand behind his neck before sliding it down to rest on his chest. "You sure about that?" she asked distractedly as she took a moment to again admire just how good he looked in that sweater._

 _Andy leaned in further, and ghosted his lips across her cheeks towards her ear. "Definitely," he said gruffly._

 _When she responded with one of those hums he loved so much, he placed a gentle kiss beneath her ear. The hand she had resting on his chest fisted his sweater and, almost imperceptibly, pulled him closer. Andy needed no further prompting. He placed several light kisses along her jaw as he made his way to her lips. When he reached her mouth, he pulled her bottom lip into his mouth and nibbled on it lightly. She hummed again, and reached up with her free hand to scratch her nails along the short hairs at the back of his neck. Andy released her lip and grunted **i** n pleasure. She immediately pulled him back, eagerly capturing his lips. Andy looped a hand around her waist and pulled her up to stand with him. _

_They were both breathless when they pulled apart. Sharon dropped her head against his chest and sighed when he pressed his lips against her hairline. His arms tightened around her as he held her closer. They stood there gently swaying back and forth as they regained their composure._

 _Andy spoke quietly, in almost a whisper, so as not to completely disturb their peace. "Do you want to stay out here, or go back inside?" he asked, repeating his earlier question._

 _"Hmm." Sharon turned her head to rest her cheek against his chest. In doing so, she caught sight of a single orange-yellow eye staring at her. She snorted. "Let's go back inside. Your creepy cat is still staring."_

 _Andy tilted his head back and groaned. "Damn cat is ruining the mood," he humbled under his breath._

 _Sharon giggled as she leaned up to kiss his jaw. "Didn't you say something about a movie?" she asked sweetly. They both could use a distraction and allow themselves time to cool down._

 _Andy huffed a short laugh. "I did." He took a step back, moving his hands to grasp her shoulders, and placed a light kiss on her smiling lips. "Let's go see what we can find." He draped an arm over her shoulders and led her back in the house._

 _They had settled on his couch together, and found a Cary Grant movie playing on the classics channel. Andy sat back into the cushions, kicking his feet up onto the coffee table, while Sharon tucked her legs up underneath her. She snuggled into his side, and rested her head on his shoulder. One of his hands was intertwined with hers and rested on his lap, while he absentmindedly ran his fingers through her hair with the other._

 _Besides the occasional kiss to her temple when she would let out a pleased hum, he made no further attempts to continue what had started on the porch. He could easily get lost in her, but it was too soon. He could see it in her eyes when she mentioned a movie. Andy didn't mind. It's like he told Provenza before he even asked her on that first date. She was different, and a relationship with Sharon would just be more._

 _Andy walked her to her car, with a request that she promise to text him when she made it home safely. Sharon rolled her eyes at his overprotectiveness, but agreed all the same. This time when they kissed goodbye, it wasn't to tease or seek the upper hand. It was affirmation that they were in agreement about their burgeoning relationship, and that they both were looking forward to seeing where it went._

* * *

Rusty stumbled into the kitchen to find Sharon and Andy on opposite sides of the bar top counter, staring at each other intently. It looked like they were having one of their typical 'battle of the wills', and one of them would cave soon. More often than not, surprisingly, it turned out to be Sharon's composure that faltered, and she smiled first. Rusty didn't think anyone could be more stubborn than his mother, until he got to know Andy better when they began dating. Living with them was almost unbearable at times, but he had experienced worse, so he decided he would deal with it. He shook his head and smiled as he reached up in the cabinet to grab a mug for his coffee.

"Morning, kid," Andy said, without breaking eye contact with Sharon. She just arched an eyebrow in response, willing him to give in.

"Good morning," Rusty said slowly. "What's going on here?" He gestured between the two and the clearly forgotten items Andy had pulled out to make breakfast.

"Your mom and I were just discussing how much she loves Louie." He managed to not crack a smile during his response, but only narrowed his eyes at Sharon.

"He left you another present, huh?" Rusty asked his mother, as he leaned back against the counter to take a sip of his coffee.

"That creature is a nuisance," Sharon said deliberately, addressing her boyfriend, rather than her son. The corner of her mouth twitched slightly, however, and Andy's eyes narrowed further, knowing he had her.

When they first started dating, it had taken Rusty a moment to realize that Louie was also the name of Andy's cat, not just his neighbor. He had slipped up in front of the old man once, calling him Louie instead of Lieutenant. The old man's face had turned so reddish-purple, that Rusty thought a vein was going to burst in his forehead.

Rusty snorted. "Mom, you can deny it all you want, but you love that cat." He laughed when his mother's jaw dropped briefly, then abruptly closed it again. She looked toward him and narrowed her eyes, offended that he was actually taking Andy's side. He laughed even more when he caught the smug look on Andy's face as he turned to finish preparing breakfast. When he was able to tamper down most of his laughter, he walked over to Sharon, and nudged her with his elbow. "If you didn't want us to know how much you like the little _nuisance_ ," he had to pause and take another sip of coffee to disguise the smile that threatened to take over his face, "maybe you shouldn't cuddle up with him every time you sit on the back porch."

Sharon pressed her lips in a thin line. "I do not _cuddle_ with him," she said matter-of-factly.

Andy threw his head back and laughed. "Sure you don't, my love." He looked over at her with a raised brow, daring her to deny it again. When she looked back at him passively, he leaned over the counter to place a chaste kiss on her lips. When he pulled back, her lips twitched toward a small smile, and he knew he had officially won this round. He turned to Rusty. "I'm making your mom's favorite breakfast. You want some?"

Rusty gave Andy a look suggesting his question was absurd. "When have you ever known me to say no to french toast?"

Andy pulled a whisk out of one of the drawers, and pointed it at Rusty. "Good point."

Rusty took a seat at one of the stools next to Sharon. "It's a good thing he's so useful in the kitchen," Rusty whispered loud enough for Andy to hear.

"Hmm." Sharon propped her chin in her hand as she watched Andy cook. She loved how easily he moved around a kitchen. "It's why I keep him around," she said sweetly.

When he shot her a displeased look over his shoulder, she blew him a kiss. She giggled when he pretended to catch it and put it in his pocket for later.

"You guys are nauseating," Rusty mumbled from around his coffee mug.

Sharon responded with a noncommittal hum. She was not about to confirm that statement, but she also knew she couldn't deny it. Andy had a way of making her feel, and sometimes act, ridiculous. It was a product of that same joy and lightness that appealed to her when she first met him. She was pleased to know that it was just as prominent in their relationship now, as it was then. If it made her youngest son queasy, then so be it; he didn't have to watch. Their daughters found it adorable, and they often told them so. Nathan had yet to offer his own comments, and Ricky was just pleased if she was happy.

She was _really_ happy.

-TBC-

 **A/N: Please let me know what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I apologize for the delay in posting this chapter! My days became a little hectic, and I didn't get as much time to write this past week as I had hoped. But here it is finally :)**

 **A couple of guest reviewers asked about the inspiration from Tony's personal life in the last chapter. Tony is a cat person (he has two of his own) and that inspired me to write in Louie the cat =^._.^=**

 **I can never thank y'all enough for the follows, favorites, and all of the wonderful reviews I just love getting. Please keep them coming!**

 **As always, thank you to IReadAndWriteSometimes for the beta, and for just being an awesome person in general.**

* * *

CHAPTER THREE

When Sharon and Rusty had moved into his house, Andy wanted them to feel at home when they entered the front door, not like they were constantly walking into someone else's house. He had urged them to make the place their, too, by trading out some of his decor for their own. Much like when he moved into the condo, Rusty was just pleased to have a room where he could make the space his. He wasn't concerned much with the remainder of the house. It took a little more convincing before Sharon agreed to the idea. She didn't want Andy to feel like they were pushing him out of his own place, but once he assured her that the only things he was particularly attached to were the kitchen and a few of the pictures, she quickly got on board with the idea.

The first thing Sharon asked to get rid of was his sectional sofa, claiming it was ridiculously enormous, and took up too much space. Andy was slightly disappointed because even she had admitted it was super comfortable, but then she surprised him by having his recliner reupholstered to match her couches and chair. He didn't even miss the sofa once it was out the door.

They ended up giving the sectional to Ricky, who was more than happy to take it off their hands. Even though it had been just over two years since he had moved back to the area, his apartment was still sparsely furnished. Several odd furniture pieces, such as lamps and side tables, also made their way to his apartment; some from Andy's house, and others from Sharon's condo. Emily had taken ownership of Sharon's bedroom furniture because Sharon had fallen in love with Andy's antique-style oak set the first time she had seen it. There was also the added bonus of the newly updated closet that he had put in when he remodeled the master suite, complete with built-in drawers and shelves. As Sharon put it, 'it's a closet a woman could live in.'

For the most part, Sharon didn't make any significant changes. Other than some photos, Andy's house was sparsely decorated to begin with, leaving her plenty of space to work with and add in her own touches. Andy had often commented on how well she was able to perfectly blend their houses together. Her belongings looked as though they had been there all along. Andy _really_ liked that fact. He liked it even more that Sharon had frequently commented that she was incredibly happy and felt at home.

The biggest change Sharon made was to the backyard deck area. She loved the space and thought it was perfect for entertaining guests, which Andy often did, but felt it needed a few updates. Some of the old boards had been replaced, and then it had all been sanded and refinished. She replaced the patio table and chairs, strung up some lantern lights, and added cushions to the built-in benches around the fire pit, which is where Andy was currently relaxing after a long day.

Today was the first time they had guests over since Sharon and Rusty had moved in, and the updates had been made. It was a casual gathering with family and friends. It was the Fourth of July holiday, and the Dodgers had played. Though they weren't the opposing team, Angela had shown up wearing a Giants t-shirt, just to irritate the hell out of Provenza. The two were in the middle of a squabble, for reasons unknown to everyone else, and Provenza claimed the shirt was the last straw; they could no longer be friends. Angela had responded by pulling out extra Giants t-shirts from her purse, and giving them to anyone who wished to join her in 'pissing the old grouch off further'. The select few who dared consisted of Nicole and her stepsons, Emily, Buzz, and even Patrice, his own wife. Sharon had considered it, but decided against it when Andy swore he would go blind if she put on any fan gear supporting the enemy. He also didn't pass up the opportunity to rub it in the old man's face that his woman clearly loved him more.

Andy was sitting in the corner of where the two benches met, with his head tilted back and his eyes closed. He didn't bother opening them when he heard the back door open, and footsteps approaching. He already knew who it was. Sharon was the only other person left at the house with him. The last of the guests had left about twenty minutes ago, including Rusty, who was staying with Emily. The two had gotten used to living together, and once she had moved out of the condo, they regularly had 'slumber parties', which Rusty preferred to call 'movie marathons', at her new apartment. Andy was supposed to be putting out the fire in the pit, but instead found the cat curled up on the cushions, and decided to join him.

"I thought you were coming right back inside?" Sharon asked as she sat down next to him.

"I was going to, but Louie begged me to sit with him for a bit." Andy cracked one eye open to find Sharon rolling her eyes at him.

He tugged on her arm to get her to lean into his side, but instead she shifted down to lay her head in his lap. Andy's fingers immediately went into her hair, and began scratching her scalp. He smiled when he felt the cat move, and walk across his lap towards Sharon. That smile turned into a chuckle when the sound of loud purring reached his ears shortly after. He had no doubt that Sharon was currently scratching the cat's ears.

"Hmm," Sharon hummed when Andy began massaging the knots at the base of her skull. If he continued much longer, she might fall asleep, and she had other plans. "You seemed like you were deep in thought."

"I was," Andy mumbled.

"Care to share?" She switched hands, and began petting the cat with the hand that was tucked beneath her, so she could use the other to stroke the back of Andy's calf.

Andy sighed in appreciation. "I was just thinking about today, and how nice it was to have everyone over." After a moment's pause, he added, "Especially nice to have all the kids together."

Each of their kids visited quite often, but it wasn't as frequent that they all were together at the same time. It didn't even happen during the Christmas holidays. Nicole and Nathan had spent some of the time with Sandra, and Ricky and Emily even spent a little time with Jack. Though they had seen all the kids at some point, it was never all at once.

"I like them all being in once place, too." She changed positions, dislodging Andy's hand from her hair, so that she was lying on her back, rather than her side. Andy's eyes had remained closed, but he shifted his hand with her movements, cupping her face so his thumb stroked her cheek. "I was honestly nervous about that first gathering we had with all of them." Sharon laughed mirthlessly. "I was prepared for them to not all get along."

Andy grunted. "My son almost proved you right."

"No, he didn't." Sharon turned her face slightly to kiss his palm. "Nathan was just nervous, and understandably so."

* * *

 _ABOUT TWO MONTHS INTO THE RELATIONSHIP_

 _Andy was dropping Sharon off after their afternoon date that consisted of seeing a film at the cinema, followed by getting ice cream for what Andy called a 'mid-afternoon snack'. Things had been going_ really _well for them the past couple of months. They spent time together, whether it was on a formal date out, or a casual night in at one of their homes, at least a few times a week. Sometimes, however, work prevented them from spending much time together, particularly due to Andy's longer hours at the restaurant. On those days, he would call Sharon at the end of the night just to say, 'hello', and ask how her day had been. Some nights those conversations lasted only fifteen minutes. On a few occasions, they had lasted an hour or two._

 _Even though everything had been going well, he was still nervous to ask the question that had been on his mind for most of the week._

 _"Besides mass, do you guys have any plans for Easter Sunday?" Andy asked, as he pushed the 'up' button to the elevator of Sharon's condo building._

 _Her purse handle was clasped between both of her hands in front her. When she shrugged her shoulders, the purse lifted as well, bouncing against her legs. "I haven't had all the kids home for the holiday in a while, and we actually haven't made any plans yet." She stepped into the elevator when the doors opened, as Andy extended his hand, indicating for her to go first. "Why do you ask?" She pushed the button for her floor once he was inside as well._

 _"Well, uh," Andy scratched one of his eyebrows with his thumb, "Nicole is hosting Easter dinner this year," he huffed a laugh, "and by that I mean, we will be gathering at my house like usual, but she's going to be in charge of the cooking."_

 _Sharon turned sideways to face him and give him a pointed look. "I didn't think you were capable of allowing anyone else into your domain."_

 _Anytime they were at his house for dinner, he very reluctantly let her assist. He usually guided her towards one of the bar stools, handed her a glass of wine (if she wanted one), and asked that she simply just talk to him. She had initially thought he was being a gracious host, but after he learned his way around her kitchen, he became just as bossy there as well. She was beginning to understand that he felt uneasy letting someone else cook for him if he was not at a restaurant. He would probably take over there, too, if he could get away with it._

 _Andy shrugged his shoulders, and smirked unapologetically. He was aware of his controlling behavior in the kitchen, but had no intention of changing it. "I have a feeling that I will still be the one preparing most of the meal, but unlike usual, I will also be given instructions in the process." Andy rolled his eyes, but his smile was still one of adoration, as though to say, 'I indulge her because I love her.'_

"I _have a feeling," she said, reiterating his words with a raise of her brow, "you're going to let her think she's giving the instructions, but really, you will be in charge the whole time." She smiled at him knowingly and poked his chest._

 _"Anyways," Andy grabbed her hand from his chest to kiss her fingertips, and continued to hold her hand, "it's just going to be Nicole and her family, and Nathan is actually going to be there as well, and me, too, of course." He was gazing just over her shoulder, instead of at her. "So, uh, I was wondering if maybe you and the kids," he cleared his throat and his grip on her hand tightened, "wanted to join us?" When he did finally chance a glance her way, he was smiling nervously._

 _"Oh?" Sharon's eyes widened briefly._

 _She expected that he would invite her over at some point in the day, but not that he would extend the invitation to her kids as well. Although their children seemed to be supportive of the relationship, they had never discussed spending time with all of them together. She knew it was bound to happen at some point if things continued to go well between them, which she suspected they would, but she was still caught off-guard by the invitation._

 _"I know it's kind of a big step, our families spending time together," he began talking quickly, "but Nicole and Emily are already friends," he rubbed his chin as though he had been giving this idea quite a bit of thought, "maybe, uh, the boys will get along as well." He chuckled dryly. "Or at least tolerate each other long enough to get through a meal."_

 _She flexed her hand so he would release it. He was working himself up like he had a tendency to do when he was nervous. He made it difficult to not laugh at him when he got like this, but she never did because she didn't want him to feel worse._

 _"Andy." She braced her arm against his shoulder, making sure he was focusing on her. "I would love to say yes, but-" She couldn't help the small smile when his face fell. He was getting ahead of himself again. "But," she drew out the word as she gave his shoulder a squeeze, "I'm going to need to run the idea by the kids first." The elevator doors opened on her floor. Her hand slid down his arm, and she grabbed his hand, tugging him out behind her. "They're all supposed to be home for dinner tonight. I'll ask them then."_

 _"So, it's not a 'no'?" he asked optimistically._

 _She laughed softly. "It's not a 'no'." She turned to face him when they reached her door. She smiled sweetly at him. "It's a 'most likely'."_

 _She highly doubted the kids would have an issue with it. If they did, she intended to tell them to deal with it. She didn't ask much of them, and like Andy said, they could be civil during one meal. However, that didn't mean she was looking forward to informing her children of their new Easter plans. She fully expected them to tease her like they had taken up doing in all things regarding her relationship with Andy._

 _Andy tugged her closer by their still clasped hands, and then wrapped his arms around her waist. "Call me when you know for sure?"_

 _She draped the hand that wasn't holding her purse around his neck. "I'll call you tonight for our usual chat, regardless of whether I have an answer or not."_

 _Andy chuckled as he dipped his head to kiss her chastely. "I look forward to it."_

 _She tugged him back towards her for a proper kiss. "Thank you for this afternoon," she mumbled against his lips when just barely separated._

 _"As always, it was my pleasure." He gave her one more lingering kiss before reluctantly releasing her and taking a step back. "I will talk to you tonight."_

 _Once she was safely in her condo, he headed back toward the elevator with a slight spring in his step._

 _. . ._

 _Now that all of her children were living in the same area, Sharon requested that they get together at least once a month, if not more, for a meal together. Ideally, she would like it to be more often, but knew that her eldest two had jobs that weren't conducive to her preferred schedule. For their meal tonight, she had thrown together a simple chicken salad. She figured it would go nicely with the crescent rolls she had purchased on Andy's and her latest trip to the Farmers' Market. Those trips were becoming a regular thing for them to do as a couple._

 _They had been eating in relative silence when Sharon finally decided to just get the holiday out of the way. "Easter is coming up this weekend, and Andy has invited us all to have dinner with his family."_

 _"I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to bring that up," Emily said exasperatedly, as though she had been waiting forever._

 _"Andy just asked me this afternoon." Sharon frowned in confusion. "I'm not sure how I could've asked any sooner."_

 _"Nicole said he ran the idea by her_ last week." _Emily shrugged a shoulder casually. "I was beginning to think you turned him down." She then rolled her eyes. "Your boyfriend seriously has a knack for dragging things out." She was still not over how long it took Andy to finally ask her mother out._

 _Sharon would've been upset that Andy waited so long to ask her, but she knew by his behavior that afternoon that he was nervous about the situation, and probably took some time to gather the courage he needed. In the short time they had been together, she had learned that he had a tendency to wait until the last minute to bring something up if he was uncertain of the outcome. For all of his bravado, he could also be equally vulnerable._

 _"I find it hard to believe that you went an entire week without bringing it up." Sharon gave her a daughter a pointed look._

 _"That's because usually when I do ask about your relationship with Andy, you're very vague." Emily pointed at her mother with the chip she had in her hand. "And that's if you're feeling generous, and decide to actually tell me anything." A little more quietly she mumbled, "Plus Nicole made me promise to actually give her dad a chance to ask you." Emily shoved the chip in her mouth and began to chew indignantly._

 _Sharon smiled at Emily's last comment. It seemed Nicole had her figured out as well. She told her children the important information; that she was happy and enjoying her time with Andy. That she was looking forward to seeing where the relationship went, and that they both didn't see it ending any time soon. She and Andy agreed that's all their children needed to hear. They didn't need to know every single facet of their dating life or time together. It was an added bonus that they got to enjoy how much it irked their daughters when specific details weren't shared._

 _Choosing not to comment on her daughter's petulance, Sharon focused on a different detail. "You're telling me you were just going to completely let it go?" Sharon made a swooping gesture with her hand. "You can honestly say you weren't going to bring it up_ at all _if I hadn't?"_

 _Emily made a production of slowly chewing her chip before swallowing. "No," she drew out the word, "that's not what I'm saying." She slightly lifted her chin in the air. "I was going to mention it tonight if you didn't," she admitted. "I figured a week was ample time to give him a chance to ask."_

 _Sharon smiled knowingly. She knew her daughter wouldn't be able to remain silent for long. "Well, I'm bringing it up now," she said matter-of-factly. "I would like for us to join Andy and his family for Easter dinner, after mass on Sunday." She looked at each of her children in turn._

 _"What if we said no?" Ricky inquired with a mischievous glint in his eye._

 _"Then you would be misinterpreting my words as merely a request." Her sweet smile was misleading because her tone indicated what she really intended to say, without actually having to verbalize it - 'It's cute you think you actually have a choice.'_

 _Ricky managed to refrain from rolling his eyes. He knew the decision had been made, but he wasn't willing to give in just yet. "So, you're demanding we go?" he asked, hoping he feigned enough irritation to mislead her._

 _Sharon sighed. She knew they were still teasing her, but she was ready to put an end to it. She was not above using guilt. "Would it really be that horrible?" She made sure to use the right inflection in her tone. "Do you hate the idea that much?" She gave herself a mental high-five when Ricky's face fell, and Emily and Rusty glared at him._

 _"I, for one, am looking forward to it," Emily said, practically bouncing in her seat._

 _"Of course you are." Ricky flicked a chip in her direction. "You've already bonded with the evil step-sister."_

 _It was Sharon who responded before Emily could get a chance. "Nicole is not evil," she said with a warning in her tone. She would only let Ricky go so far. "And stop throwing your food."_

 _Rusty leaned over to Ricky and murmured under his breath, but still loud enough for everyone to hear, "Notice how she didn't object to you calling her the step-sister."_

 _Sharon rolled her eyes when Ricky snorted and Emily smiled in glee. She had corrected them multiple times before, and reminded them that she and Andy had not been dating long enough to even consider such ideas, but it got her nowhere. She learned it was best to just ignore what she could._

 _"So it's settled then?" Sharon asked, even though Emily was the only one who actually agreed. "We will be having Easter dinner with Andy and his family." There was a note of finality in her voice._

 _"Sure, mom. We'll go so you and your boyfriend can play house." When she narrowed his eyes at him, Rusty quickly amended his statement. "Do you honestly think I'm going to turn down a chance to enjoy some of Andy's cooking?"_

 _"Actually," Emily said perkily, "Nicole said she would be doing the cooking."_

 _Sharon inwardly smiled. She'll believe that when she sees it, but still confirmed Emily's remark. "That is what Andy_ said _as well."_

 _"Whatever." Rusty waved his hand dismissively. "It's a home cooked meal. We don't get those very often around here, gotta take advantage when the opportu-" His last few words were cut short when he attempted to hide behind Ricky when Sharon used her napkin to swat at him._

 _"Hey!" Ricky complained. "You're hitting me instead."_

 _"Guilty by sibling-default," Emily quipped._

 _From that point, her children commenced an intense discussion about which situations were appropriate for the sibling-default rule to be implemented, and which were simply 'every man for himself'. Sharon didn't even mind the bickering tonight. Other than the occasional interjection to prove them all wrong, she mostly kept quiet and listened. She was just pleased they didn't make a bigger deal out of their new Easter plans._

 _. . ._

 _Sharon was twisted sideways talking to her daughter when she felt the pew shift, indicating someone took the empty space next to her. She expected the sanctuary to almost completely fill due to the holiday, but there was ample time before the service began, which meant there were several seats still open as people gradually filed in. From the angle she was turned, she could even see entire rows were still empty, which is why she was surprised someone took the single space next to her. She was intent on finishing their conversation, but Emily looked just over her shoulder, and a cheeky smile transformed her face._

 _When Sharon turned to see who had her daughter smiling, she found Andy sitting back looking very relaxed, with a lopsided grin on his face. "Andy." She reached out and tugged on the tie he was wearing. "What are you doing here?"_

 _"It's Easter." His facial expression and tone of voice indicated it should've been obvious._

 _"Of course, how could I forget?" Sharon tapped her head in a chiding manner. "You come every Easter and Christmas," she said in reference to the conversation they had outside in the parking lot before they ever started dating._

 _Andy scooted closer to her and rested his arm on the back of the pew behind her. He dropped his voice low as though he was telling a secret. "And a few extra times in between to chat with the good Father when needed." He tilted his head toward the front of the sanctuary where Father Espinoza was standing. When Sharon just smiled and shook her head at him, he leaned around her. "Good morning, Emily."_

 _"Hello, Andy." She glanced down at the arm that was practically draped across her mother's shoulders. "I didn't think we'd be seeing you until later."_

 _He waved at the boys who waved back. Ricky leaned into Rusty and whispered loud enough for them to hear. "They can't even go to church without making it a date."_

 _"So," Andy pitched his voice to a low rumble, addressing Sharon, "I guess that means I get to kiss you goodbye when I walk you to your car after." Andy wiggled his eyebrows at her._

 _Her sons collectively groaned. Emily snorted a laugh, and gave Andy a high-five when he lifted his hand that was next to her, resting on the other side of Sharon's shoulder. Sharon pressed her lips into a thin line to suppress the smile that threatened to form._

 _"Children," Sharon arched an eyebrow at Andy, indicating she was referring to him as well, "behave."_

 _Andy remained seated close to her during the service, and Sharon found she didn't quite mind it. She did, however, mind his running commentary. He seemed intent on making her smile, and it was working. It didn't help that, on her other side, Emily was snickering because she, too, could hear him. Sharon finally put a finger to his lips and told him to shush. Her warning did not prevent him from getting in one last joke right before the final prayer._

 _"This is why I don't come very often," he whispered from the side of his mouth as they knelt. "My knees can't handle it. I'd certainly become a cripple."_

 _Sharon didn't give him a verbal response, and he didn't expect her to, but he still caught the small twitch of her lips before she bowed her head. She would probably threaten to never sit next to him again if he kept it up. Andy thought it was a good thing that the service was coming to an end. He didn't have much self-control._

 _Father Espinoza was standing at the sanctuary exit, bidding members of the congregation farewell as they left. His smile widened significantly when Sharon and Andy approached. He had seen the two sitting rather cozily together in the pew. Sharon had mentioned that she was seeing someone, and even though the relationship was still quite new, she had already come to realize its significance. In the beginning, they had discussed the relationship and Sharon's concerns at length, particularly the new man's similar past to her ex-husband's, but Sharon had never actually mentioned Andy's name._

 _The Father had recently commented to Sharon how pleased he was that she had found another area in her life, besides her children and career, which seemed to be flourishing for her. Now that Father Espinoza realized he knew exactly who this new man of Sharon's was, he found himself even more pleased with the relationship. Andy didn't attend mass regularly, but had come to him numerous times over the years for guidance and discussion. He knew of Andy's struggles and just how hard he worked to be the stability his family needed._

 _Father Espinoza once told Sharon that the similar pasts she and the new man (that he could now refer to as Andy) shared did not only have to be a negative shadow on their relationship. Rather than be completely concerned, he urged Sharon to focus on the positive aspects of it. She was in a unique position to truly appreciate all of the hard work Andy put forth in his sobriety. She had watched Jack attempt do the same, but fail repeatedly. Likewise, Andy was in a unique position to truly appreciate what it meant for Sharon to take a chance on him, despite his past. It was a second chance that he lost with his own ex-wife. Without having a similar history, any other person would most likely take Andy's hard work and determination, and Sharon's risking of her heart again, for granted._

 _"Andy." Father Espinoza grasped Andy's offered hand between the two of his and shook it fervently. "It's wonderful to see you."_

 _"Hello, Father." Andy almost stuttered the words out. He was slightly taken aback by the priest's unusually enthusiastic greeting. "It was an excellent service, as always."_

 _"And you always say that, but I don't see you here often enough," Father Espinoza said lightheartedly. He was not one to be pushy about attendance, but made sure to let those that attended sporadically know when they were missed. "Perhaps Sharon here could convince you to join her on occasion?" he asked with a raised brow._

 _"If anyone could," Andy smiled tenderly down at Sharon, "it would be her."_

 _"I'm not sure I want to try to persuade you." Sharon lightly pursed her lips, but the smile was still evident in her eyes. "Then I'd have to sit next to you during the service again."_

 _Father Espinoza wasn't sure what Andy did to bring about such a response from her, but he barked out a laugh when Andy just smiled cheekily in response. He realized the line had become congested behind the couple, and not wanting to hold it up any longer, he begrudgingly bid them goodbye._

 _Sharon and Andy followed her children, who had preceded them in exiting the church, to her car. Though the two would be seeing each other again shortly, they were moving at a more sedate pace, enjoying their last few minutes together._

 _"You know," Andy lifted her hand to kiss her knuckles, then looped her arm through his, "you could just give one of the kids your car keys, and ride with me to my house."_

 _"That offer is very tempting," Sharon briefly rested her head on his shoulder, "but I was planning on changing my outfit, and I need to stop by the condo to do that."_

 _Andy groaned playfully. "Next time just bring your spare clothes with you."_

 _Sharon laughed softly as they came to a stop next to her car. The kids had already taken their seats and shut the doors. "I will keep that in mind."_

 _Before Sharon could release his arm, Andy cupped the back of her head and placed a lingering kiss on lips, while still being mindful of their surroundings._

 _Knocking on the window interrupted them, followed by the sound of Rusty's muffled voice. "You're going to see him again in less than an hour. Let's go already."_

 _Andy chuckled and opened the car door for her. "Thanks for the date," he said jokingly, before placing one more light kiss across her smiling mouth. "See you real soon."_

 _. . ._

 _When the door opened to Andy's house, Sharon was surprised to find that he was not the one to greet them. She was pretty certain, since this young man looked nothing like Andy, that this was not Nathan. She did, however, recognize him from a few of the pictures Andy had displayed of Nicole's wedding. Her suspicions were confirmed by a voice from behind her._

 _"Dean," Emily exclaimed. She stepped around her mother and gave him a quick one-arm hug. "Where are those little dancing bugs and wife of yours?"_

 _Sharon sometimes forgot just how well Emily knew Nicole and her family. It now went beyond her being the boys dance instructor. She and Nicole were quickly becoming really close friends. If the rest of their kids got along half as well, it would bode well for Andy's and her relationship in the long run._

 _"Hey, Em." Dean chuckled, for she hardly waited on his answer before walking off to look for herself. "The boys are out back, and Nicole is in the kitchen having a debate with her father about potatoes." The last of his statement was addressed to Sharon since Emily had already rounded the corner._

 _Sharon smiled at him apologetically, as she extended her hand. "It's nice to finally meet you. I'm Sharon."_

 _"I figured as much." Dean smiled kindly at her. "I've heard so much about you that I feel like I already know you."_

 _Sharon looked heavenward as she shook her head. "Depending on the source of your information," because it could be Andy, Emily, or Nicole, but she would bet on it being all three, "I may need to be worried."_

 _"It's been all good things," Dean gave her a teasing wink, "I promise."_

 _"Then perhaps we should share a few stories," Ricky piped up from behind his mother. He was beginning to feel a little left out just standing there._

 _"There's no need for that," Sharon warned. "These are my sons Ricky and Rusty."_

 _"The stories I've heard about you two are not quite as redeeming," Dean crossed his arms over his chest after shaking each of their hands, "but I will wait to get know you better before passing judgment." He smiled cockily at the two, only slightly, younger men in front of him._

 _"Ah, geez." Rusty smacked his forehead. "Emily has already brainwashed him."_

 _"I know you're married to the evil step-sister and all," Ricky cocked his head to the side and narrowed his eyes, "but we guys are supposed to stick together."_

 _Sharon wanted to scold Ricky for referring to Nicole as evil again, but she decided to just take a step back, and let the young men get to know each other on their own terms. She and Andy had discussed not wanting their sons to feel pressured to get along the way their sisters do. Besides, if the continually widening smirk on Dean's face was anything to go by, he didn't mind all that much._

 _"As you've pointed out," Dean playfully jabbed a finger at Ricky, "I am married to her." He leaned in and pitched his voice low. "And even Andy agrees the number one rule is, always keep your woman happy."_

 _Rusty let out a dramatic groan. "I thought Andy was the only pathetic one, but dude," he flung his hand out in the direction of the inside of the house, "he has rubbed off on you, too. That's just sad," he tightened his lips in mock forlorn, before adding, "and pitiful."_

 _"Don't worry," Ricky reached out and gave Dean's shoulder a patronizing pat, "we are here to redeem you."_

 _While the boys were bantering, Sharon noticed a car pull up next to the curb, and a younger man exited the car carrying a bag of ice. It wasn't until he slid his sunglasses to the top of his head that she got a good look at his face. He looked almost exactly like the younger pictures she had seen of Andy. This was definitely Nathan. His shoulders were broader, and he was just a tad taller than Andy, but not quite as tall as Ricky. His expression was much sterner than his father's, but when he came to an abrupt stop on the porch next to them, Sharon noted he definitely had the Flynn smirk. She had seen it cross Nicole's face before, but Sharon could see it was more prominent in her brother._

 _"What are we doing standing on the front porch?" Nathan's voice was gruff._

 _Sharon noticed Dean briefly tense from the corner of her eye. Nathan wasn't necessarily being rude, but his discomfort was palpable. "Sharon and her family have just arrived. Emily has already disappeared inside, but we haven't quite made it that far yet." He smiled reassuringly, hoping to ease some of the tension._

 _"Okay," Nathan lingered on the word, "so what are we waiting on then?"_

 _"Making the proper introductions first since we don't all know each other." Rusty had stepped up, his hand clenched at his sides._

 _Sharon wasn't surprised that it was her youngest. He still mostly operated in self-protection mode and often went on the defensive when he felt threatened. Not that Nathan was necessarily being hostile, but he certainly wasn't overly friendly either._

 _"Oh, right," Nathan said, as though this was news to him. He transferred the bag of ice from his right hand to his left, and extended the now free hand. "I'm Nathan." His tone was more relaxed, but his posture remained rigid._

 _Sharon was relieved when, after a beat, Rusty took the proffered hand and gave it a single, brisk shake, before releasing it. "Rusty."_

 _Sharon was beginning to worry that this might not go as well as she had hoped. Ricky was equally as cool as Rusty in his own introduction. Andy had warned her that Nathan was a wildcard. There was no guarantee how he would act. Though he didn't like to admit it, he had a bit of the Flynn temper. She and Andy had both agreed to hope for the best, but prepare for the worst._

 _"And you must be the notorious Sharon." Nathan nodded politely toward Sharon. "I've heard a lot about you."_

 _"I've already used that line." Dean playfully punched Nathan's arm. "Get your own."_

 _"What else am I supposed to say?" Nathan scowled at Dean, but there was, thankfully, a glint of humor in his eyes. "The whole family talks about her."_

 _Sharon felt her cheeks pinken. Ricky only made it worse when he threw his arm over her shoulder and said, "You're like a celebrity."_

 _Sharon shrugged Ricky's arm off, before smiling warmly up at Nathan. "It's nice to finally meet you. Your father talks about you often."_

 _Nathan's brow briefly furrowed before his expression changed to a timid smile. "Shall we head inside?" He hooked his thumb toward where Dean was still standing. "I don't want the ice to melt."_

 _When they stepped into the house, they were immediately enveloped in the aroma of whatever was cooking. The guys, except Nathan who had to put the ice in the freezer, headed toward the backyard where Ethan and Jake were playing with Nerf guns. Sharon arrived in the kitchen to find Andy preparing dinner alone. Nicole and Emily were at the dining room table with their heads crammed together over one of their phones._

 _Sharon walked up behind Andy stood at the sink and ran her hand down his back before placing a kiss on his shoulder. "Hey."_

 _"Hey." He turned his head toward her but continued to wash off the potato in his hand. "I'm sorry I didn't come to the door, Nicole has me trapped in here." He caught sight of Nathan walking in the kitchen towards the freezer. "Hey, son," his smile widened, "I would like you to-"_

 _As he put away the bag of ice,_ Nathan distractedly interrupted him _. "Introductions have been made, Dad. No need to go through them again." He closed the freezer door and stood straight, cramming his hands into his jean pockets. He rocked back on his heels, and looked between Sharon and Andy before saying, "I'm gonna head out back with the rest of the guys."_

 _Sharon felt Andy tense beneath her palm at Nathan's flippant behavior. She watched Nathan stalk out the kitchen, and Nicole jumped up from the dining room table to quickly follow him out the back door. Sharon met Emily's gaze and gave her a concerned smile, but her daughter just shrugged and rolled her eyes, before getting up and following Nicole out._

 _Andy put the last washed potato on the cutting board with the rest before shutting off the water and drying his hand. He turned toward Sharon and let out a deep sigh. "I'm sorry. I hope he acted better when those introductions were made."_

 _"Don't worry about it." Sharon ran her hand down his chest. "He wasn't_ that _bad. It's obvious he's anxious." She reached up and smoothed out where his brow was furrowed. "We'd be foolish to think this would all go smoothly. A little pushback is to be expected."_

 _"It has nothing to do with you, and everything to do with me. Things are a lot better between us," Andy shrugged, trying to belie how much it bothered him, "but he still doesn't now how to just_ be _around me. Believe it or not," he laughed dryly, "he does have some manners. They'll probably make an appearance once he's been here long enough to chill out and relax."_

 _"It's okay, honestly." Sharon placed a light kiss on his chin, and decided to change the subject. "Something smells amazing. Can I help you with anything since I see the head chef has made her exit." She smiled haughtily, knowing she was right and Andy would be the one preparing the meal._

 _"It's your daughter's fault." Andy grumbled, pretending to sulk. "She mentioned wanting to show Nicole a new piece of furniture, or something," Andy shook his hand dismissively, "for her apartment. Nicole was immediately sucked in."_

 _"She moves into her new apartment in two weeks." Sharon sighed wistfully. She would miss having Emily around so much, but had to admit, across town was preferable to New York. "I don't think I need to tell you she's really excited."_

 _"As she should be." Andy kissed the tip of her nose._

 _"So can I help?" she asked again, nudging him with her elbow._

 _Andy's laughter rumbled deeply. She was always trying to finagle her way into his kitchen. "If you give me a proper hello," one corner of his mouth twitched upwards, "I may be persuaded to let you help me prepare these potatoes for baking."_

 _"You and I must have different definitions of 'proper', because I thought-" Sharon's sentence was cut off by her laughter when Andy tugged her into his chest, and began nuzzling the crook of her neck. She shoved him away, but he immediately stepped forward again to capture her lips in a deep kiss. "Hmm," she hummed when he finally released her. "Hello."_

 _Andy sauntered confidently over to one of the drawers to retrieve the foil. "See, we do have the same definition of 'proper' after all." He winked at her over his shoulder._

 _As they seasoned the potatoes and wrapped them in foil for baking, they discussed the service and Father Espinoza. Andy commented that he thought the man was behaving particularly odd that morning. Sharon confessed that it was probably because she had vaguely mentioned him, and the Father was pleased to finally know who her new 'mystery man' was. Andy had a good laugh about that, and joked that it was a good thing the other man seemed pleased, rather than warning her to run in the other direction._

 _As Sharon set the table, and Andy checked on everything else that was baking, he admitted Nicole actually did help quite a bit. It was tradition for Dean's family to have a brisket for Easter, and she wanted to continue that for her husband, so that was the reason for the menu choice. She and Andy went grocery shopping together, and picked up all the items they needed. She wanted to come over early that morning to prepare the brisket, but Andy convinced her to let him do it. She had enough to manage with the boys. She also prepared the coleslaw, a couple of other side dishes (one of them particular for Andy since he would not be eating the brisket), rolls, and a dessert. They had just been arguing over whether to make potato salad or baked potatoes when Emily came in. Andy wanted to do baked potatoes, and since she left him in the lurch, that was what he decided to make. They would probably have leftovers for days, but he just couldn't tell his daughter no when she mentioned everything she wanted to be cooked._

 _Dinner started off slightly awkward, but Dean and Ricky initiated a casual conversation, and everyone fell into it quite easily. Andy was right; the longer Nathan was around him, the more he relaxed. Jake and Ethan made everyone laugh. While trying to one-up each other, they described in great detail, each egg they had found during the egg-hunt at their church. As the older kids fell into a light-hearted debate about which superhero was superior, Sharon reached under the table and gave Andy's thigh a squeeze. When he looked over at her, she smiled brightly at him. The dinner was going better than expected, and she felt so much relief as a result. Andy leaned over and placed a quick kiss to her temple. When he sat straight again, he gave her one of his heart-fluttering smiles, and then joined the kids in their debate._

* * *

Each a gathering after that first had gone better than the previous as they all got to know each other better. They had recognized from the beginning what this relationship meant to their parents, and none of them wanted to be the reason to cause that relationship distress. Emily and Nicole were the only two non-siblings that spent time together on a regular basis, but the others got along really well when they were together. Sometimes one or two of the kids would be missing, but those that were together, always found some topic of discussion to which they could all relate. Occasionally those discussions would become a little heated, but never spiraled out of control.

Nathan never again behaved as brusque as he had during that first introduction, but he was always slower to warm-up to the conversation. Initially, Andy thought it was because of him, but soon realized that his son was uneasy in most group settings, no matter who was present. During the second gathering with all of the kids, Andy learned that Nathan relaxed more quickly if he had a task to distract him from the pressures of needing to socialize, when Nathan had subtly begun helping, and eventually taking over grilling the steaks without being asked. For the next half hour, father and son had the most easy-going conversation either could remember having in years. From then on, if Nathan was coming over, Andy always made sure that their menu required use of the grill.

"You know," Andy said as his finger traced the shell of her ear, "I still would've tried my damnedest to make sure this between us worked," he huffed a laugh, "but it sure made it a hell of a lot easier that they all got along."

"Hmm, I know what you mean." Sharon reached up and scratched her nails along the light stubble that was forming on his chin. "Even that early on, I knew I wasn't planning to let you go."

"I will forever be grateful that I ran into you in that dance studio." Andy said thickly.

He still wasn't looking at her, but Sharon knew that if he was, his dark eyes would be burning with the same emotion she could hear in his voice.

"Me, too," she whispered. The two remained silent for a little while longer before Sharon decided his time was up. "Shall we go inside?" She began standing up before he had a chance to answer.

Andy let out a deep sigh. He was comfortable at the moment, but knew he wouldn't be for much longer. "Yea, I guess so."

He leaned forward with a groan, bracing his elbows on his knees, and resting his face in his hands. He felt Sharon's leg brush against his when she stepped in front of him and brushed her fingers through his hair. He took a peek at her from between his fingers, and groaned in pleasure when his eyes fell on her bare legs.

He quickly sat up straight, now that he was more alert. "You changed," he exclaimed excitedly.

Sharon giggled at his abrupt change in mood. "Took you long enough to notice." Her tone carried a hint of impatience when she added, "You said you were coming right back in."

His gaze was still fixated on her legs, but he began slowly tracking his eyes up her body. "If I had known-" His words were cut short when he got a good look at what she was actually wearing. "Damnit, Sharon." He plopped back against the bench, throwing his arm over his eyes. "What the hell are you trying to do to me?"

When he dropped his arm back down to look at her, she was smiling mischievously at him. He almost grinned back, but then his gaze dropped, catching sight of the San Francisco Giants logo, and he scowled instead. _Why did Angela have to bring those damn shirts?_

"You don't like my outfit?" she asked seductively, stepping between his legs.

Andy reached out to caress the back of her thigh. "I like ninety-percent of your outfit," he said sullenly. "It's that ten-percent eyesore in the middle," he pointed to the team logo on her chest, "that I take issue with."

She leaned forward to whisper in his ear. "I thought it might be more incentive to take it off." She gave his earlobe a little nip before standing straight again.

"God almighty, woman." He tried to grab her, but only manage to loosely catch the hem of the shirt, before she stepped away. "I'm more than happy to undress you at any time without any extra incentives," he practically shouted at her retreating form.

Sharon gave him a sensual smile over her shoulder as she opened the back door. "Then hurry up, and you can do so." Then she disappeared inside.

Andy quickly got up, ignoring the popping sounds his joints made in the process. He made it to the door before he realized he never extinguished the fire. "Dammit!" He made quick work of putting it out, and clumsily gave the cat one last head scratch, "Goodnight, buddy," before finally heading inside in search of Sharon.

-TBC-


	4. Chapter 4

**Continual thanks for all of your kind reviews, follows, and favorites! Y'all truly are amazing. Please continue to let me now what you think!**

 **A huge thanks to my beta IReadAndWriteSometimes for all that you do. Collaborating with you has been immensely fun. You are awesome!**

 **This chapter covers a significant event in Sharon and Andy's relationship that I wish we could've seen on the show!**

* * *

CHAPTER FOUR

When Jack had been gone for a couple of years, and her dreams of becoming a lawyer were long forgotten, Sharon had begun taking appropriate steps to help advance her career at the museum so she could become a curator, and ultimately the director. Simply having a BA degree and experience working in a museum, both of which she had, would only get her so far. Ricky had just started kindergarten, making the timing perfect for her to go back to school as well. Therefore, she began taking classes to obtain dual MA degrees in Museum Studies and 20th Century Art. It took her 5 years to obtain both of them, but the immense accomplishment she felt at the end made all of the eighteen-hour days, financial stress, and the evenings spent away from her kids while she was in class, more than worth it.

The Church had helped her significantly with childcare. Not only did they give her a break on the cost, but they also worked around her busy schedule to assure that someone could care for Ricky and Emily during the times Sharon had work and class. Although a good portion of her tuition was covered by the grants and scholarships she had earned, there was still a portion left over that she was unable to pay on her own. It wasn't an exorbitant amount, but more than she could afford at the time considering she was still working on untangling Jack's and her finances, and paying off the debt he left her with. She almost had to put off obtaining her degree because it wasn't feasible to pull out an additional student loan. That was how she began assisting Arthur at the gallery. He had offered to cover the remaining amount she owed. She only reluctantly agreed to the offer after making the arrangement for her to work at the gallery when her schedule permitted, as a way of paying him back.

Sharon didn't know it at the time, but that arrangement would eventually benefit her in more ways than one. It not only left her debt-free after graduating, but over the years she had assisted him, she built relationships with all of Arthur's art-world contacts. Despite what many people believed, owning a gallery was not always a lucrative business. In many cases, the galleries struggled just as much as the artist. The only way to become successful in the business was by making the right connections with the right people, and then working hard to maintain them. Arthur had spent years making those connections and building on them. His gallery started out very small, and it struggled to survive for the first few years. He was persistent though, and it eventually grew to be one of the most prominent galleries in the area, and even known by many on the east coast. Having worked with him over the years, when Arthur bequeathed the gallery to her after his passing, Sharon was able to successfully step into the role with the help of Buzz, who had been Arthur's other right-hand man.

After she retired from the director position at the museum, Sharon no longer needed to travel as often for work. Many of the exhibits in a museum come from not just all over the country, but also all over the world. As the director, and the one responsible for acquiring the art pieces for each exhibit, she would often need to handle arrangements in person, and make the trip to do so.

The majority of her work for the gallery could be done from her office, with simple phone calls and emails. Occasionally, she would have a business meeting with a contact, but they were almost always local and could be handled over a lunch or dinner. There was the occasional conference that was too important to pass up, which is why she and Buzz had made a trip to New York for the week. They extended their stay past the two days for the conference so that they could reach out to their contacts in the area that they normally only spoke with over the phone. It had been an incredibly successful trip, and worth their time.

Getting home, however, proved to be far more of a hassle than usual. Their return flight was delayed due to mechanical issues with the plane. It took almost two hours before a replacement plane was found, and they could finally board to head home. To make matters worse, once they finally had made it back to LA, there was an accident on the freeway, significantly impeding traffic.

By the time Buzz dropped Sharon off at home, it was over three hours later than she had expected. To say she was exhausted would be an understatement. She hung her jacket on the coat rack and left her suitcase sitting next to the entrance to the hall; she would take it to the bedroom shortly, when she headed that way. Andy was working a double shift at the restaurant, and she had been keeping him apprised of her progress in getting home. The last text she received from him was to let her know he had prepared her favorite Mediterranean salad between his shifts, and he left it for her in the fridge. She was so relieved and grateful. She was hungry after a long day of traveling, but wasn't particularly in the mood for a heavy meal.

She was slowly trudging her way to the kitchen, when she was startled by a muffled voice coming from the direction of the couch, saying, 'Hi, mom'. When she looked over the back of it, she found her son lying face down in the cushions, his laptop and textbooks open in front of him.

"Rusty," she said, still slightly out of breath from the shock he gave her. "What are you doing?"

His groan was again muffled, but then he lifted his head to say, "Homework." He pushed himself up so that he was sitting back on his knees. "Remind me again why I decided to take summer classes."

Sharon laughed softly and reached out to brush back the hairs that were stuck to his forehead. "You want to graduate on time."

He exhaled a long breath and seemed to deflate. "Right." He closed his laptop and stood to stretch. "How was your time in New York?"

He had talked to her a few times over the week, but mostly just to check in. He didn't dare ask about the trip home, Andy had been keeping him up to date on that as well, and he already knew how taxing it had been.

"It was good that we went." She walked around to the side of the sofa and sat on its arm. "We gained some useful information for the business, and met up with associates that we hadn't seen in awhile." She picked up one of the throw pillows and clutched it to her chest. "How was your week?"

Rusty rolled his eyes. "Nothing new to report since I talked to you on the phone last night." He pointed towards the kitchen and changed the subject. "Andy left you dinner in the fridge."

"I know." Her mouth twitched towards a small smile. "He texted me."

"I know," Rusty repeated. "This is his way of getting me to make sure you eat." He began collecting his belongings from the couch. "So, uh," when he picked up his phone, he checked the time, "do I actually have to watch you eat, or can I go take a shower?" He was smiling at her cheekily.

She didn't even dignify his response with an answer. Instead, she tossed the throw pillow she was holding at him, and headed towards the kitchen. Rusty and Andy made it seem like she skipped meals often, which wasn't the case. There just happened to be a few select times that she was so caught up with work and preparing an exhibit that she simply forgot. It wasn't like she did it on purpose.

As she was pulling out a bowl and utensils for her dinner, she came across a new bottle of wine with a note taped to it. It simply said, _'Relax and Enjoy!_ ' It brought a small smile to her face. He could be awfully bossy when he wanted to be.

After their second date when Andy had brought home a bottle of wine for her, Sharon had politely asked him to not do it again. Initially, he had been confused and a little hurt by her request, however, she explained it wasn't that she didn't trust him to know his limits, or that picking up a bottle for her would tempt him, but rather that she had been married to an alcoholic and some concerns were harder to overcome. He had responded by saying he didn't want her to feel as though she couldn't enjoy a glass or two of wine without him being tempted, because that wasn't the case. Thankfully, he understood when she explained that she felt more comfortable acquiring her own wine when she wanted to indulge herself.

Since that conversation, she had only asked Andy once to bring wine from the restaurant to her condo, and that was because they were having a get-together with their kids. She realized too late she only had a partially full bottle on hand. She didn't mind asking that time since it was not only for her, but for the guests as well. Andy had never ignored her wish until tonight, and Sharon found she was in fact grateful that he had. When she had called him right before boarding her flight home, she had made an offhanded comment about looking forward to a glass of wine when she finally arrived home. She had actually forgotten that she had finished her bottle the weekend before. Andy, however, must've remembered and brought a bottle home with him when he made her salad between his shifts. He was always looking after her, whether she asked him to or not.

When she finished dinner and cleaned up her dishes, Sharon decided to indulge in a second glass of wine, so she poured another one before heading towards the bedroom with it. She was rolling her suitcase down the hall, when Rusty stepped out of his bathroom, freshly showered. He stopped right in front of her and partially blocked her path.

"I was thinking about watching a movie before bed," he jerked his head in the direction of the living room, "wanna watch one with me?"

"I've had a long day." Sharon gave him a tired smile. "I think I'm going to call it an early night." After a brief pause, she asked, "Would you like to get lunch together tomorrow? It feels like I haven't seen you in a while."

When he nodded emphatically and said, 'Yea', she briefly let go of the handle on her luggage and reached for his head. She tilted his forehead down, and placed a light kiss there. "Goodnight, honey."

"Night, mom." Rusty gave her a small wave as she passed him.

When she stepped into Andy's and her room, she found his big green robe lying across the foot of the bed, and another note lying atop it. A crease formed between her brows as she closed the door and walked toward it. A couple of weeks ago, they were having an unusually chilly morning, and instead of grabbing her own, Sharon had snatched Andy's large, fluffy robe to wear while sitting out on the back porch with her usual cup of tea. Between being lost in thought and the long robe dragging across the ground, she didn't see Louie when he brushed up against her legs, tripping her in the process. Her entire mug of tea was dumped down her front. It was yet another reason to despise that cat. She was grateful the robe protected her from the hot drink, but frustrated because the it was too big and heavy to wash in a regular washing machine. Much like an oversized comforter, the thing needed to be washed in an industrial sized washing machine, which meant taking it to the laundromat. She had promised Andy multiple times that she would take it to be cleaned, but had yet to do it. He didn't seem to be too bothered by it, but now it seemed he was leaving her a reminder to clean it.

Sharon let out a deep sigh as she lifted the note. She was too tired to think about planning a trip to the laundromat in addition to everything else she wanted to do this weekend. She unfolded the piece of paper, and was pleasantly surprised to find its contents did not say what she expected.

 _I know you've had a long trip and are in need of a calming evening. I hope you happened to bring a glass of wine with you, because you may want one while you enjoy a bath (or shower if you so wish) to complete your night of relaxation. Despite what you say, I know you love this damn robe, so I had it cleaned just for you. I will see you when I get home later tonight._

 _Love you,_

 _Andy_

Sharon smiled as she took a sip of the wine that she did indeed bring with her. He really knew her all too well. She claimed she only put that robe on when it was chilly, but he was right, she loved how cozy she felt wearing it. She lifted it to her nose, inhaling its scent, as she headed towards the en suite bathroom. He must've at least worn it once since washing it, because there was the faint smell of him mixed in with that of the detergent and fabric softener.

When she stepped into the bathroom, she found two new candles in her favorite fragrance, as well as a new bottle of her favorite bath oil, sitting on the tub's ledge. During the move, the box containing several of her bathroom items, including the candles and bath oils, was ruined in the heat when it had accidentally been left in the trunk of Rusty's car. When she flipped open the cap of the bath oil to breathe in its scent, she also got a whiff of the smell of cleaner, indicating he had scrubbed everything down as well. She let out a groan of relief. She had intended to clean the bathroom this weekend while Andy was at work.

She set her wine glass on the ledge next to the candles, before lighting them with one of the matches from the box he left as well. While the tub filled, she quickly unpacked her suitcase, hating to leave it for another day. She placed the clothes she had removed into the hamper, including those from her own body, and then reentered the bathroom. As she slipped into the water, she quietly mumbled, "I really love that man."

* * *

 _ABOUT SIX MONTHS INTO THE RELATIONSHIP_

 _Provenza had married for the sixth time. Andy was both equally shocked and impressed. Shocked that the he decided to go through it all again, and surprised the crotchety old coot found someone to agree to marry him. He hadn't met all of the ex wives, but he heard enough about them to know the old man probably got it right this time._

 _Provenza had wanted the big production of a wedding, but Patrice wanted to keep things simple. Thankfully, the old man's self-preservation kicked in, and he agreed to the more sedate affair. They had married over at the courthouse in the middle of the afternoon. The only people in attendance were the bride and groom, the judge, Andy, and Angela._

 _Andy knew how much Provenza wanted to celebrate, so he had asked Patrice about hosting a reception afterwards for a few family and friends, and she had graciously agreed. Angela had practically squealed when Andy informed her of his plans. He originally wanted to have the get together at his house, but his sister immediately informed him he was an idiot, and she took over the planning. She claimed that just because his backyard deck was suitable for their casual family gatherings, didn't mean it was appropriate for a wedding reception. That is how he ended up grilling hamburgers in the restaurant kitchen._

 _The couple had conveniently married on a Monday, which happened to be the day the restaurant was closed. Andy had suspected that Angela strongly suggested that day of the week to Patrice. His sister had completely transformed the main seating area by decorating several of the tables with tablecloths and centerpieces, and stringing up some decorative lights. She had even rearranged the tables to create room for a makeshift dance floor. Typically, traditional Italian music played over the speakers through an iPod that was hooked up to the stereo system, but Angela had created an entire wedding playlist to be played specifically for the evening. Needless to say, his sister was beyond excited about celebrating the couple's union._

 _"You know the party is up front, right?" Angela asked as she approached Andy where he was working. "You can't just hide out back here like you always do." She leaned against the table opposite of where he was standing._

 _Andy shot her an unimpressed look. "I realize that, Ang, but_ you're _the one that decided Provenza_ must _have hamburgers for his reception, instead of the simple lasagna I wanted to make." He was clenching his jaw and grinding out the words as he scrubbed. "I now have to clean the grease from those damn things off this grill before it sticks to it permanently and ruins it."_

 _Angela just ignored his grumblings and continued to poke at him. "Sharon has arrived. She's talking with the old man and Patrice right now." She smacked his arm with the back of her hand. "I can't believe you didn't even pick your date up. Some gentleman you are."_

 _Andy stopped scrubbing and stood straight to face his sister. "Again, someone changed up all of my original plans, and insisted we have the reception here, instead of at my house like I wanted." He wiped his brow with the back of his hand and deepened his scowl. "Forgive me for not wanting Sharon to have to sit around in this kitchen while I grilled hamburgers. If we had done what I wanted, she could've been comfortable relaxing at my house." He threw his hands out, as his voice raised an octave. His sister could rile him up better than anyone._

 _Once he found out Angela was making a big to do about it all, Andy had asked Sharon to be his plus one to the reception. She had eagerly agreed. He wanted Sharon to be his plus one at the courthouse, but Provenza said he could only bring one person, and Angela being the pain in the ass she always was, threatened to end his life if he didn't take her. Thankfully, Sharon understood. His sister and neighbor had a strange friendship that normal people just couldn't comprehend. Andy was not pleased with the arrangement, but his mood improved when Sharon suggested inviting Buzz to the reception, because she knew how much the younger man annoyed the crap out of his grumpy neighbor. She said it would be her own special wedding gift to the Lieutenant. Though he hadn't told her yet, Andy knew he was in love with her in that moment. Who else would suggest tormenting his neighbor just to make him happy?_

 _Angela just smiled arrogantly in response. "Well tonight is not about what you want, is it?" She braced her hands on her hips and returned his glare. "It's about what Provenza and Patrice want." She emphasized her statement with a curt nod of her head._

 _Andy pointed his finger angrily at her. "Don't even try to pretend that this whole thing didn't turn out exactly the way you wanted."_

 _"Who's pretending?" Angela smiled smugly, as she swatted his finger away._

 _Andy's response was interrupted by the sound of heels clicking on the floor. When he looked over Angela's shoulder, he saw Sharon walking towards them. His frown quickly transformed into a wide grin._

 _Angela rolled her eyes at the quick shift in his mood. "God, you're pathetic," Angela mumbled under her breath._

 _"Am I interrupting?" Sharon asked as she came to a stop next to Angela._

 _"Not at all," Angela said. "I was just indulging in one of my favorite past times," she sighed wistfully, "and pissing off my brother just for the fun of it." She winked at Sharon._

 _Sharon laughed softly. The dynamic between Andy and his sister never ceased to entertain her. "I don't want to be the one to ruin your fun."_

 _Andy scoffed. "She's had plenty, trust me." He turned back towards the grill and grumbled something else, but they were unable to hear him._

 _"He's right," Angela confirmed with a proud nod. "My job here is done. I will see you two out front shortly." She reached out and gave Sharon's shoulder a quick squeeze before leaving._

 _"You okay?" Sharon asked as she stepped behind Andy and ran her hand up his back._

 _Andy turned his head to look at her. "Of course." He leaned down to give her a quick kiss. "I just want to finish this up so I can enjoy the rest of the evening with you."_

 _. . ._

 _The reception had been going really well. Andy hated to admit it, but Angela's plan turned out wonderful. Even though the old man had complained about Andy letting his girlfriend convince him to invite her annoying business partner, he could tell Provenza was delighted by it all. Angela and Sharon had both tried to convince the older man to take them for a spin on the dance floor, but he resolutely refused each time, saying, "I don't dance." He did, however, make an exception for Patrice_

 _Sharon and Andy had found their way to the dance floor once the food had been consumed. Just when Sharon thought he couldn't possible do anything else that would make him even more attractive, Andy proved wrong. She was pleasantly surprised by just how well Andy could dance. He had maneuvered her all across the dance floor through several fast paced songs, but now they gently swayed to a much slower song. Sharon had her hand draped around his neck and she was lightly playing with hairs at the back of his neck. Andy's hands were gripping her hips, giving her an occasional squeeze in response to her fingers._

 _Sharon glanced over at the bride and groom as they sat at a table, engrossed in conversation with one another. "I can't believe the Lieutenant has done this six times," she said with a hint of astonishment in her tone._

 _Andy grunted. "I can't believe he got five women to agree to marry him." He looked down at Sharon with a look of mock surprise. "One of them was crazy enough to agree to it twice."_

 _Sharon laughed softly and gave his hair a light tug in admonishment. "I'm just amazed he never gave up." There was a hint of awe in her voice. "I think after the second failed marriage, I would've called it quits for good." She shook her head in amazement. "Where does he get the motivation to keep trying?" she asked in slight wonder._

 _"Actually," Andy chuckled, "I asked him the same thing when he mentioned he was planning to propose."_

 _"I would love to know what he had to say about it," Sharon subtly inquired. Knowing the Lieutenant, his remarks were most likely sarcastic and cynical. She was surprised to look up to find Andy gazing at her seriously, instead of wearing his trademark smirk._

 _"That in his line of work, you learn rather quickly to not take things for granted. Those we love are not guaranteed to be in our lives forever so we should always let them know how important they are to us."_

 _"That's actually very profound of him," Sharon said impressed._

 _Andy shrugged, and in an attempt to bring some levity to the moment said, "Provenza expresses the sentiment through proposals. I was afraid I would have to be the first to reject him." He momentarily stopped their movement and pretended to wipe his brow in relief. "Thank goodness Patrice came along."_

 _Sharon snorted a laugh and tugged him back into motion. When he finally rewarded her with a roguish grin, she smiled tenderly up at him. She tilted her face up and placed a light kiss on the tip of his chin, then rested her forehead in the same place._

 _After a short time had passed, Andy interrupted the comfortable quiet that had settled between them. "He's right you know." His voice rumbled low, almost as if he wasn't sure he wanted to voice his thoughts._

 _Sharon only hummed in response. She was content to just continue slowly swaying in Andy's arms, not caring about anyone or anything else around him. Not until she detected the seriousness of his tone did she finally lift her head to meet his gaze._

 _Andy was looking at her intently, scanning her face as though he was taking in every aspect of her features. "We don't know what tomorrow, or the next day, has in store for us. It could all be gone in a flash." He reached up to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear, letting his thumb linger and gently stroke her cheek. Andy looked at her directly in the eye. "Which is why I want you to know that I love you, Sharon."_

 _Sharon drew in a deep breath, and then exhaled his name on a whisper. "Andy-"_

 _She shook her head, not knowing what to say. She wasn't prepared to voice the thoughts that she herself had just begun to acknowledge. They had been lingering in the back of her mind, but she left them there, hesitant to deal with them until recently. Sharon had a feeling Andy had felt the same just from the way he looked at her, but it still didn't prepare her for this moment._

 _"I know you probably think I'm just caught up in the atmosphere of the wedding, but I promise you that isn't the case," Andy said sincerely. He slid the hand that was resting against her cheek to her neck, and caressed it gently. "I've been thinking about this for a while."_

 _Sharon swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. "It's not that." She removed a hand from around his neck and patted his chest, right above his heart, willing him to understand. "Andy-" She shook her head for what she though was the hundredth time in the past two minutes._

 _"Sharon," Andy said quietly to get her attention. When she continued to stare straight ahead, he slid his hand just far enough to tenderly grip the back of her head, and with his thumb underneath her chin he gently tilted her head so she would meet his gaze. "I know I have sprung this on you. I don't expect you to reciprocate if you're not ready. I just didn't want to go any longer without telling you." He ran his thumb across her bottom lip and looked at her reassuringly._

 _Sharon continued to stare at him with wide eyes. When she managed to nod her head slightly, Andy smiled at her affectionately before leaning down to place a light kiss against her lips. He internally sighed in relief when she responded with a more insistent brush of her lips._

 _Sharon could feel the initial panic slowly draining from her because of Andy's understanding response. When he lifted his head from the kiss, she wrapped both of her arms around him and pulled him tightly to her, tucking her face into the crook of his neck. She hoped that her actions would convey what she currently felt. When he returned her embrace just as tightly, and commenced the slow sway of their dancing that had been interrupted by his admission, she felt the last of her panic dissipate. She was grateful he was giving her the time she needed to sort through her emotions. It's not only that she wasn't ready to repeat those same three words, but Sharon also didn't want him to think she felt obligated to return them._

 _It was a couple of more weeks before Sharon was able to voice what her heart so keenly felt. In that time Andy had told her a few more times, not so much to overwhelm her, but enough to let her know that he did not initially voice them when caught up in the moment._

 _Sharon was in her office preparing a contract for an artist whose work that would be exhibited in the gallery, when she was startled by Andy walking in carrying what she assumed was lunch. It's not that she was displeased to see him, but she thought he received her message about needing to reschedule their lunch._

 _Their schedules had not been syncing up the past week, and they were unsuccessful in making plans together. Andy said he could manage to step away from the restaurant for a quick lunch, but Sharon regretfully had to request a rain check. Emily had caught her before heading to work that morning, requesting time over lunch to discuss something important. Sharon knew Andy would understand the need to reschedule for her daughter. One of the reasons they were unable to make plans recently was because Nicole needed Andy's help with the boys. It was an unspoken agreement that the kids always came first, which is why she was surprised to see him in her office._

 _Andy placed the bags of food on the edge of her desk, before walking around to where Sharon was seated. When she turned to face him, he smirked when he took notice of her perplexed expression. He leaned over, bracing his hands on the arms of her chair, and placed a gentle kiss over her furrowed brow._

 _He pulled back slightly and gave her a crooked grin. "Hey."_

 _"Andy, what are you doing here?" She pulled him back down by the back of his head to give him a proper kiss, hoping he didn't mistake her surprise for displeasure._

 _Andy hooked his thumb towards the bags of food. "Bringing you lunch."_

 _"I can see that." Sharon rolled her eyes at his mention of the obvious. "I thought you got my message saying I needed to reschedule because of Emily."_

 _Andy moved to sit on the edge of the desk next to her. "I did," he confirmed with a nod, "but all of our plans have fallen through recently, and I wanted to see you."_

 _"I want to see you, too," Sharon reached out and grabbed his hand that was resting on his thigh, "but Emily is supposed to be here soon."_

 _"I know." He gave her hand a squeeze. "Don't worry, I only plan on staying long enough to bring you ladies food, say 'hello', and do this-" He leaned forward and kissed her with purpose._

 _"Hello," Sharon said quietly in response. She tilted her head toward the bags of food. "That's not from Sicilia, though."_

 _When they had originally made the plans to have lunch together, Andy was simply going to bring food from work. He wasn't sure how long he would be able to get away, and it saved time. Now it appeared he went completely out of his way just to see her._

 _"It isn't," he confirmed unnecessarily. "When I called your daughter at the dance studio offering to bring you two lunch, she initially declined. Her reason being, and I quote," Andy paused to clear his throat, "'I was really looking forward to taking advantage of the break between seasons and gorge myself on a dozen tacos and a few burritos.'' His voice had raised an octave in his attempt to mimic Emily. "When I informed her I had ulterior motives," he gave Sharon a wink,"and that I didn't mind picking up tacos, Emily acquiesced to my request. So here I am," Andy made a swooping gesture with his hand, "armed with Mexican food and kisses." He waggled his eyebrows at her._

 _Sharon giggled at his playfulness. "My daughter likes to indulge her voracious appetite when she gets the chance."_

 _Andy shot her a bland look. "You're telling me." He leaned back from where he was sitting on the desk, and pulled the bags towards them. "She wasn't kidding about wanting a dozen tacos and a few, which I learned in Emily-speak means six, burritos. Most of this is for her. " He began rummaging through one of the three bags, reading the writing on the wrappers. "There is one taco and one burrito for you, and a couple of black bean tacos that I will be taking with me when I go." He had moved on to the second bag in search of his tacos._

 _Sharon was dumbfounded that Andy would go through so much trouble just so the two of them could have a few minutes together. Not only that, he made sure to not interfere with her daughter's plans. It was a huge, yet simple gesture, and Sharon found herself overwhelmed by her emotions. She had been thinking about it for a while, even more since Andy had told her at the weeding, but was unable to voice it until now._

 _"I love you, too," she said softly._

 _Andy stopped his search through the bags and stared blankly at her for a few seconds. Then a huge smile, that smile that never failed to make her weak in the knees, transformed his face. "Yea?" he asked a bit breathlessly._

 _Sharon laughed and looked up at him tenderly. "Yea," she confirmed with a nod._

 _Andy's eyes narrowed, but he was still smirking. "Are you just saying this because I brought tacos?"_

 _Sharon shook her head at his teasing. She stood from her chair, and stepped between his legs as she draped her arms around his shoulders. She began tilting her head from side-to-side, as though she was actually considering his question. "That's probably the main reason," she said matter-of-factly, but her eyes revealed her playfulness._

 _Andy placed the bag he was holding on the desk next to him, then wrapped his arms around her waist to tug her closer. "Whatever the reason, I like hearing it." He quickly pecked her smiling lips._

 _"I shall say it again, then." She leaned forward so that her lips brushed against his ear. "I love you, Andrew Flynn."_

 _Andy leaned back just enough to look her in the eyes. "The feeling is definitely mutual," he rasped._

 _The kiss he bestowed on her was far more lingering and meaningful than any that preceded it. They reluctantly broke apart when they could hear Emily's voice, most likely talking to Buzz, carrying through the gallery. Sharon gave him one more kiss, before stepping back with a bright smile. Andy wore a matching grin as he continued his search for his tacos. He hated that he had to leave, but nothing could ruin the elation he currently felt._

* * *

When Andy arrived home later that night, he made sure to be extra quiet as he locked the house up, and set the alarm. As he walked down the hall, he noted there was no light coming from beneath Rusty's door, indicating the kid was already asleep. There was a faint light coming from beneath his and Sharon's door, however, and he assumed it was from the lamp she typically left on for him when he got in late. He was surprised to find her sitting up against the headboard with a book in her lap. He smirked, not surprised to see that she was indeed wearing his robe.

"Hey." Andy approached her side of the bed. "It's late. I thought you'd be asleep by now." He leaned down and kissed her upturned lips when she looked at him.

She closed the book that was in her lap, using her finger to mark her place, as she watched Andy make his way around to his side of the bed. "I haven't been out of the tub for long, and I wanted to wait up for you." She lifted the phone that had been sitting on the bed next to her thigh. "You're actually home earlier than I expected."

Andy finished emptying his pockets and placing the items on his nightstand. "It was relatively slow for a Friday night, so we finished a little sooner than usual." He took off his chef's jacket and placed it in the hamper. "Do you mind if I wash off real quick?" He jerked his thumb towards the bathroom door.

Sharon gave him a small smile and slightly shook her head. "Of course not. I can keep myself occupied a little longer." She reopened the book to resume reading.

"I'll be quick," Andy said before he closed the bathroom door.

When Andy reentered the bedroom, Sharon closed her book, placing a proper bookmark in it this time before placing it on her nightstand. She stood and removed Andy's robe, laying it across the lounge chair in the corner of the room. She would no longer need it now that her own personal heater was currently slipping beneath the covers. She joined him, sliding up next to him to rest her head on his shoulder. She let a contented sigh when Andy wrapped both of his arms around her.

"Missed you," Andy said before placing a kiss to her temple. They had talked to each other on the phone each night, and sometimes during the day as well, but it wasn't the same as having her lying next to him in bed. "How was the flight home?"

"Long." She sighed. "And I had a chatty row buddy." She looked up at him and rolled her eyes. "The poor girl was nervous, and I think I know more about her life than I do my own kids'."

Andy couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him. He knew how much she preferred to keep to herself on flights. "I'm sorry." He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and placed a kiss where her brow was creased. "Did you find the dinner I left for you?"

"Between your texts," she emphasized the 's' in reference to his multiple messages regarding the matter, " _and_ Rusty's personal reminder," she arched her brow, "yes, I somehow managed to find the dinner you left for me."

"I realize I may have overdone it with the reminders-" He paused when she gave him a look that said, 'no kidding,' and amended his statement. "I realize that I definitely over did it with the reminders." He chuckled when she shook her head at him before once again resting it on his shoulder. "I just missed you and I was disappointed I couldn't pick you up from the airport," he grumbled.

Sharon sighed and squeezed him tighter where she was holding him. "I really missed you, too." She turned her head just enough that she could place a kiss against his shoulder. "Thank you for dinner." She tilted her head to kiss his jaw. "Thank you for cleaning the bathroom, it was my turn." She placed a lingering kiss on his lips. "And thank you for replacing my bath items, you really didn't have to do that."

Before she could lay her head back down, Andy cupped the back of her head and pulled her in for another slow kiss. "It was my pleasure." He ran his thumb along her jaw as his gaze roamed her features. "But I assure you," he gave her a lopsided smile, "it was purely for my own benefit."

Sharon scoffed. "I fail to see how cleaning the bathroom benefits you. It was my turn," she pointed out again. "I was going to take care of it while you were at work this weekend."

They had unintentionally fallen into a trade-off pattern each week when it came to routine chores around the house. If one of them happened to be busy with work, the other would pick up the slack. Neither of them were particularly messy people, but both appreciated a well-kept house. It was just one of the many ways in which they easily blended their lives.

"There's a chance I may have reworked the schedule so I could have this weekend off," he said casually, and not as though this was news to her. When she looked at him in surprise, he continued. "You've been gone all week." He shrugged the shoulder her chin wasn't resting on. "I wanted to spend some time with you."

Shortly after moving in together, they had discussed reducing their work schedule so that they could spend more time together. Although Sharon had retired from the museum, she wasn't completely ready to give up working at the gallery to live a life of leisure. Eventually, the gallery would become Buzz's, but until then she would only hand over a portion of her responsibilities to allow her more free time. Likewise, Andy wasn't ready to give up working at the restaurant. He did, however, wish to focus solely on the culinary aspects, rather than the business side. Even with his brother-in-law being the general manager, and John working as the assistance manager, they really needed a third person helping. Since Andy had bought the restaurant, he stepped in to fill that position. Now that the restaurant had been flourishing for some time, he could more than afford to hire a third manager, allowing him to go back to focusing purely on the kitchen. Luckily, his brother's youngest daughter, Lydia, recently graduated from college with her business degree and had asked Andy if he had a position open for her.

"Who did you get to close the restaurant for you?" Sharon asked in surprise.

"Lydia."

Sharon was aware that he had been training her to take over his managerial tasks. "Is she ready to do it all on her own?"

Andy snorted. "She's been capable since day one. I just didn't want her to feel like I was dumping everything on her and then bailing."

Sharon shook her head. She doubted Lydia would've felt that way. "Well," she tapped his chest, "replacing my bath item in no way benefits you," she said going back to their previous discussion before she got distracted, "because you weren't even here to enjoy them with me," she said teasingly.

"Ah, but there's still time for me to take advantage of the opportunity in the future," he wiggled his eyebrows at her, "which I fully intend to do." He turned his head and nuzzled her neck until she laughed. "Besides," he said when she finally pushed his head away, "what really matters is that it made you happy. When you're happy, I'm happy."

It really was as simple as that. It's not that their happiness was dependent on the other's, but that they delighted in each other's happiness.

She smiled adoringly at him. "I really do love you."

"The feeling really is mutual," he said before closing the distance between them.

-TBC-

 **A/N: Although we didn't get to see their first 'I love you', I** **really hope James Duff grants our wishes to at least hear them say it once to one another!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry for the slight delay in posting this chapter. It turned out to be a rather long one, therefore, took a little longer to write. I wanted to explore another aspect that all couples encounter during a relationship, and I wish we could've seen on the show.**

 **Y'all are all so wonderful for continuing to read this story and leaving me such kind reviews. Please keep them coming!**

 **IReadAndWriteSometimes is truly the best. Thanks for letting me borrow your brain and being my biggest supporter.**

* * *

CHAPTER FIVE

Andy was sitting in his recliner watching the Dodgers game when Nicole had texted him, asking if she could stop by to return some tupperware. It wasn't unusual for her to take leftovers home with her after one of their family meals, but typically, she would return it when they all met up again. Andy had tried to assure her it wasn't necessary to return it immediately, but she was persistent. He was getting the impression she had a different reason for wanting to stop by so suddenly. His suspicions were mostly confirmed when she arrived fifteen minutes later.

When he opened the door to her, she leaned up to kiss him on the cheek, mumbling, "Hi, Dad," before quickly stepping around him to move further inside the house. By the time Andy recovered from his surprise at her brisk entrance, she was making herself comfortable on the couch.

"Where's Sharon?" Nicole asked as she positioned herself in a corner of the couch, tucking her legs beneath her. If she noticed her dad eyeing her suspiciously, she didn't let it on.

Andy pointed towards the direction of their bedroom. "She's down the hall on a business call." He reclaimed his seat in his recliner. "She's been trying to get this potential buyer on the phone for over a week." He rolled his eyes to express his displeasure. "He just called her back."

Nicole merely responded with an absentminded nod of her head. Her gaze had turned to the television, though Andy could tell she wasn't actually watching it. He wanted to ask her if everything was ok, but knew it was best to let her speak when she was ready, so they sat in silence while he waited. He would occasionally chance a glance at her out of the side of his eye, but she remained facing forward. Andy smiled to himself when he noticed the way she had her lips pursed, and a small crease formed between her brows. She looked almost exactly like her mother, right down to the way she sat rigidly with her arms crossed over her chest. Sandra used to, and probably still does he thought, get the same determined look on her face when she was brooding. They remained quiet for the rest of the inning.

"How is it that you and Sharon never argue?"

Andy startled slightly by the abrupt end to their silence. His eyebrows rose toward his hairline at the random question, for it certainly wasn't what he had expected. It took him a moment to fully register what she had asked, but once he did, he threw his head back in laughter. He was grateful that Nicole didn't seem to be offended by his response. Instead, she actually managed a small smile in return.

It was at that moment that Sharon emerged from the bedroom to join them. She had heard the doorbell, so she wasn't completely surprised to see that they had company, but she was surprised to see that it was Nicole. As she walked behind the couch, she gave Nicole's shoulder a light squeeze as a silent, 'Hello.' She continued towards where Andy was sitting in his recliner, and sat on the armrest next to him. "What's so funny?" She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and placed a light kiss to his forehead when he just beamed up at her.

Andy wrapped his arm around Sharon's hip, giving it a light squeeze, before sliding his hand further to rest against her thigh. "Nicole is under the impression that we don't argue." Repeating the statement caused him to chuckle again.

Sharon's eyes widened in surprise as she looked over at Nicole. "What makes you think we never argue?"

Nicole rolled her eyes at her father. "An inside source," she responded vaguely, though they all knew who she was referring to.

Andy leaned around Sharon to get a good look at his daughter. "Since when do you talk to Rusty about us?" he asked, incredulous.

"Our parents are in a relationship and living together. What else would we talk about?" Nicole was giving him a bland look that said, _'Really, Dad?'_

"I would've expected you all to know how to mind your own business by now," Sharon said pointedly. Her tone contained a touch of reprimand, but there was a small smile lifting the corners of her mouth.

"If it makes you feel better, Rusty hates discussing it," Nicole smiled mischievously, "but Emily can be persistent." She wasn't going to admit that she assisted in the interrogations.

Despite telling them numerous times that, besides the information Andy and she decided to share, their relationship really was none of their children's business, it didn't prevent them from prying in the least. Rusty was typically considerate of their request, but moving in together had only managed to increase their curiosity, and he was now their messenger.

Andy patted Sharon's thigh and loudly whispered, "It's always your daughter that instigates everything."

Sharon ignored his jab, mostly because he was correct, and she couldn't deny it. "Well, it seems Rusty has misinformed you." She spoke matter-of-factly. "We do have disagreements," she paused for a moment's breath before adding, "often."

Andy was nodding emphatically and grinning proudly, looking all too pleased by the idea. It was evident he enjoyed their frequent disagreements. Sharon swatted his arm in reprimand, but still smiled indulgently at him.

She turned back to Nicole, and continued more seriously. "We tend to disagree over petty little things, but they are generally the result of the same underlying issues that neither of us are going to change at this point." She shrugged a single shoulder. "And we've accepted that about each other."

"For example," Andy said slowly and looked up at Sharon with a crooked grin. "Her unwillingness to accept help."

"His caveman tendencies," Sharon immediately countered.

"Her stubbornness."

" _His_ stubbornness."

"Her need to _always_ be right."

"Him not understanding _I am_ always right."

"Ugh," Nicole groaned. "Rusty's right. You two are nauseatingly cute." She plopped her head back onto the sofa. "Get a room."

They were doing that thing again where they would stare each other down, daring the other person to look away first. It was their own private game. They seemed to forget anyone else was around them. Nicole could understand why Rusty would find it gross, but it was also so very sweet at the same time.

"Rusty thinks we're cute?" Andy asked in surprise. Usually the kid acted like he barely tolerated it when they were affectionate.

"No." Nicole snorted. "He thinks you're just nauseating. I added the cute." She waved her hand dismissively. "But I can see what he's talking about. Even when you argue, it's not really an argument." Her facial expression flittered between disturbed and awe. "It's more like a game between you two. I mean," she looked at them pointedly, "do you ever fight about anything serious?"

"Where's this coming from, Nic?" Andy asked, concerned.

"I just want to know what the secret is." There was a hint of desperation in her tone. "You two seemed to have it figured out. Dad," she sighed and her gaze briefly met his before dropping down to her lap, "I remember you and mom used to argue pretty often."

Andy's expression changed from one of concern, to one of shame. "Nic-"

"No, no," Nicole interrupted before he could apologize again for something that had happened so long ago, "I'm not trying to make you feel bad by rehashing old memories." She huffed out a deep breath. "I'm just saying that I remember you two having arguments, and I remember mom and Greg having arguments occasionally." She looked towards Sharon. "Even Emily remembers the arguments between you and Jack." Nicole groaned in frustration when Sharon frowned, clearly not understanding how she and her ex fit into the discussion. She took another deep breath before continuing. "My point is that it's so very normal for married couples, or for couples who live together," she paused and looked between Sharon and Andy, giving then a small smile, "to argue. But you guys appear to have it all figured out. Even mom and Greg seem to have found the answer, so if you don't mind, I would love it if you would share it with me, too." She wiggled her fingers, indicating for them to give it to her. "What's the secret?"

Andy found himself smiling at his daughter's small outburst. When he looked up at Sharon, he could see her pressing her lips into a thin line, attempting to suppress her own smile. If Nicole had seemed more upset, rather than simply frustrated, he would be more concerned. Clearly, she and Dean had recently had a disagreement, and she was wanting a quick solution to the problem. It was sweet how she thought there was some trick to it all.

"Sweetheart," Andy smiled tenderly at her, "there is no secret."

"How can there be no secret?" Nicole shook her head in disbelief. "Look at you two."

Sharon laughed quietly. "If you think we haven't had some pretty big arguments since we've been together," she shook her head and smiled wistfully, "you would be very mistaken." She looked back on those moments fondly now. They were a huge learning curve for the both of them, but they came out the other side stronger, which isn't always the case. "It's a given when you're getting to know someone on an intimate level."

"Then how come Rusty says otherwise?" Nicole retorted, not quite ready to believe them.

Andy shrugged. "Because we are careful not to 'air our dirty laundry', so to speak." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "And uh," he looked up to Sharon for confirmation, "I would say we had our biggest arguments before we moved in together," when Sharon nodded in agreement, he turned back to Nicole, "so Rusty hasn't witnessed much other than our usual spats."

"Not to mention," Sharon added quietly, "I have a feeling Rusty's definition of a serious argument probably differs from yours, or even mine." She offered Nicole a small, knowing smile.

Nicole didn't know much about Rusty's past, but she knew enough. She understood what Sharon was trying to say. The relationships he was currently surrounded by were probably the most normal he had ever witnessed.

"Then what's different between now and your first marriages?" Nicole rolled her eyes. "I mean besides the drinking." That was an issue for both of them in different ways. She looked over at Andy. "I mean, I know you didn't only argue about that."

"We don't have the same stressors," Andy said easily. When Nicole frowned slightly, he went on to clarify. "We're not just starting out. We both," he indicated a hand between him and Sharon, "have established careers, and finances are not a concern."

"And we don't have the added strain that kids provide," Sharon supplied. She smiled tenderly at Nicole. "Kids are so wonderful, but they are also a huge stressor for a marriage." When it was clear that Nicole was prepared to object, Sharon knowingly added, "And Rusty living with us isn't the same, because he is grown and mostly self-sufficient."

"Plus," Andy chimed in again, "as you've pointed out, this isn't our first rodeo, kiddo." He grinned mischievously. "I've learned to pick my battles more wisely."

Sharon snorted. "I don't know about that." She elbowed him when he tickled the sensitive spot behind her knee.

Nicole plopped her elbow on the sofa's armrest and dropped her head into her hand. "I was really hoping you would tell me something I didn't already know." She glared at the older couple. "I really wanted there to be some special secret to it all."

Andy threw his head back in laughter, while Sharon giggled. "Sorry, sweetheart." His smile indicated he wasn't in the least bit apologetic.

Nicole rolled her eyes. "I'm not sure I believe that you two have ever had any big arguments."

"Are you kidding?" Andy's eyes widened at the absurd thought. "Even knowing what kind of temper I have?" He asked with an incredulous tone.

"Now that you mention it," Nicole turned to Sharon and smiled a little too sweetly, "it's amazing you even put up with him."

Sharon laughed at Andy's disgruntled, "Hey." She patted his shoulder placatingly, before addressing Nicole more seriously. "If you think he's the only one who has made a misstep, you would be mistaken again."

* * *

 _ALMOST THREE MONTHS INTO THE RELATIONSHIP_

 _Emily had finally decided on an apartment, and felt she had enough saved that she felt comfortable in moving out on her own again. Sharon had suggested hiring movers, but Emily said it was a waste of money and wouldn't accept her mother's offer to pay for it. She was determined to take care of it herself, with a little help of course. She had enlisted the assistance of Rusty and Nicole, with a promise from Ricky to stop by when he got the chance. She did, however, at least spend some money to rent a u-haul so they could move it all at once and not make several trips. They actually only needed to make two since all of her belongings were split between her mother's condo and storage unit. The only problem was that Emily had forgotten to rent a dolly as well, which would be needed in carrying most of the heavier items. That is how Andy was roped into helping._

 _Before he went in for the evening shift, Andy was planning to spend his morning and early afternoon off doing the yard work that he wanted to put off, but Provenza was already complaining about the height of his grass. He was just about to step out into the garage to grab the mower when his phone rang. It was Nicole asking if he had a dolly they could borrow for the day. He actually had two, one at the house, and one at the restaurant. After agreeing to meet them at Sharon's condo, he had loaded up the one he kept at home, before stopping off at the restaurant to pick up the second one._

 _When he arrived in the parking garage of the condo, he found that they had very poorly parked the u-haul close to the elevator doors. He pulled up next to them, intending to simply leave the dollies with them, but when he opened his car door, he was accosted by his daughter, begging him to spare them from Emily's driving. Andy was momentarily confused until he overheard bickering from the other side of the truck._

 _"You almost killed us and took out half the cars in this garage!"_

 _That was most definitely Rusty's voice, and he sounded panicked, Andy thought._

 _"I'm not letting you drive it!" Emily shot back. "You can't drive a tiny car without it being a life and death situation."_

 _Andy turned to Nicole and arched his brow. "I now understand why this thing is parked so haphazardly."_

 _Nicole let out a weary sigh. "I know you probably have plans for today, but do you think you could drive this thing for us?" She laughed dryly. "I don't think I'd manage much better than Emily, and she refuses to let Rusty drive."_

 _Andy's eyes widened in mock horror. "From what Sharon has mentioned, I wouldn't let him anywhere behind that wheel either."_

 _"So," she dragged out the word as she grasped his arm between both of her hands. She leaned into him, and smiled too sweetly at him. "You will help us out?"_

 _Andy chuckled and shook his head at her pleading tactics. "Yea, I will drive it for you."_

 _She hugged him tightly and briefly laid her head on his shoulder. "You're the best." She released him, and rounded the front of the truck where Rusty and Emily were still arguing. "Good news!" She exclaimed with a clap of her hands. "My dad said he could drive this thing." She pounded the hood of the truck._

 _Rusty's shoulders sagged in relief and Emily bounced up on her toes excitedly. "Oh, goody!" When Andy came to a stop between her and Nicole, she gave him a quick one-armed hug. "I can compensate you by promising you lunch." She smiled up brightly at him. "What I mean by that is Mom is supposed to take us out for some pizza whenever she is done with mass and some errands."_

 _"I don't need compensation." He waved off the offer, and then he smirked at her knowingly. "If it means saving lives and sparing a few vehicles, then I'm happy to help."_

 _Emily pursed her lips in a fake pout at his teasing, but it quickly changed back to a smile. "You should still join us for lunch."_

 _Andy chuckled. "Okay then." He held out his hand to her and smiled crookedly. "Can I have the keys to this thing so I can park it properly?"_

 _They spent the next few hours loading up the u-haul with Emily's things from both the condo and storage unit. Andy had to admit he was thoroughly impressed by her organization and grateful she had everything but the furniture packed up in boxes. He had no doubt she acquired those skills from her mother. He and Rusty ended up doing most of the work because the two girls were more concerned with discussing how the apartment should be decorated than actually getting the belongings moved._

 _Ricky showed up halfway through the unloading process at the new apartment. Andy suspected he timed it just right so that he had to help as little as possible, but still gain a free meal out of it. Even with the extra hands, the process wasn't moving faster because Ricky and Rusty took every available opportunity to harass Emily about her inability to drive the u-haul truck. Andy spent most of the time in equal states of irritation and amusement. He was looking forward to when Sharon arrived._

 _. . ._

 _When Sharon pulled into one of the parking spaces on the side of the street in front of Emily's new apartment, she was surprised to find Andy exiting the back of a u-haul. She knew she had mentioned to him that Emily was moving out this Sunday when she declined his invitation to lunch, but that had been the extent of the conversation. She certainly didn't expect to see him laughing and joking with her two sons as he closed and locked the door to the back of the truck. She was torn between being excited to see him, and wary that he inserted himself into her children's lives without her knowledge._

 _When she approached the men, she overheard what sounded like them making plans for how to return the u-haul. They didn't see her until she stopped right in front of them. "Hello, gentlemen."_

 _"Hey!" Andy's face lit up when he saw her. "I would give you a hug, but," he tugged his sweat soaked shirt away from his body, "I'm gross."_

 _"I have no qualms about hugging you." Ricky immediately wrapped his arms around her, shoving her face into his chest, though he wasn't near as sweaty since he had arrived later._

 _"Oh, Richard." She shoved him back so that he wasn't smothering her, but still kept one of her arms wrapped around his waist. "I'm happy to see you, too, but you don't have to maul me." She rolled her eyes at her oldest son when he tried tugging her closer again. She turned to Rusty, and brushed back some of the hairs that were sticking to his forehead before resting a hand on his shoulder. "How are you?"_

 _"Ready for lunch." He rubbed his stomach and leaned into her for support._

 _"He's been complaining for the past hour that he's going to drop if he doesn't get food sometime soon." Andy was smiling fondly at her interaction with her sons._

 _Sharon returned his smile, but hers was strained. "I didn't expect to see you here," she said, disregarding his comment. "You know," her smile became even tighter, "you don't have to go out of your way to be nice to my kids for me to like you."_

 _Those that didn't know her would most likely interpret her words as teasing. But Andy knew her well enough at this point to correctly decipher her tone and false smile to know otherwise. So did her sons, because they both dropped their arms from where they were hugging her._

 _Andy's face fell and his shoulders sagged as the excitement left his body. "Right." He nodded curtly. "I was actually just about to head out." He looked beyond Sharon and her sons to find Nicole and Emily walking out the front entrance to the apartment building. He stepped around them and walked towards his daughter. "Hey, sweetheart," he reached up and grasped her shoulders, "I have to head out now. I need to start getting ready for work." He leaned forward and placed a kiss to the top of her head._

 _"No, you can't go yet." Emily threw her arms out, and then let them drop at her sides. "We're supposed to all go to lunch together."_

 _"Raincheck?" Andy asked, hoping to keep a lid on the frustration he felt building inside of him._

 _"Of course." It was Nicole who answered. She quickly deduced by the tension she felt in her father's shoulders when she hugged him, and the uncomfortable looks Rusty and Ricky were sending in his and Sharon's direction, that something had upset him. "I'll call you later. Love you."_

 _"Love you, too." He gave her shoulders one more squeeze before nodding goodbye to Emily. "Enjoy your new apartment." He turned and walked back toward Sharon and the boys. He patted both boys on the back. "I'll see you guys later." Just when it seemed like he was going to completely bypass Sharon, he stopped and pressed a hurried kiss to the side of her head, causing it to jolt slightly. "Bye, Sharon," he mumbled before quickly walking to his car._

 _He was grateful that he had Nicole follow him in his car since the u-haul didn't seat all four of them, because it would've made his departure a lot more awkward if he had to ask for a ride. When he took a seat in his car, it took all of his strength to not slam the door._

 _"Did I miss something?" Emily asked, confused by the uncomfortable silence that had fallen over them._

 _"Nope," Ricky quickly answered, ready to get past the awkward moment, "but we will miss lunch if you don't hurry up. Come on," he jerked his head toward his car, "I will give you and Nicole a ride." He turned to his mom, but didn't quite meet her eye. "I'll follow you."_

 _Sharon nodded once. "Sounds good," she spoke quietly. She internally winced when she caught sight of Nicole's saddened expression before she turned and walked with Emily to Ricky's car._

 _Sharon and Rusty walked in silence to her car. Once they were both seated and buckled, right before she started the engine, Rusty turned to her. "Just so you know, Nicole's the one that asked for his help. He didn't go behind your back and offer it." He turned away from her to look out the window._

 _Sharon let out a deep sigh. It seemed that she had completely misinterpreted the situation, and now, not only did she hurt Andy's feelings in the process, but she disappointed her kids and his daughter as well. She would need to resolve the situation, and do it soon._

 _. . ._

 _By the time Andy had arrived home, he felt more exhausted than he could ever remember being in a long time. Typically, he would spend his time joking around with his kitchen crew, but tonight he was unusually quiet while he worked, preferring to brood over his encounter with Sharon. Everyone seemed to catch on fairly quickly that he wasn't in his usual mood, and left him be. He initially felt bad that everyone seemed to be unusually wary of him, and giving him a wide berth, but ultimately he decided stony silence was better than subjecting them to the anger and frustration he was feeling. He lucked out that Angela just happened to have the night off, so she wasn't there to harass him._

 _As he pulled into his driveway, he let out a deep sigh when he noticed a silver sedan parked in the typically vacant spot. He didn't think he was in the mood for company, hers in particular. When he put his car in park, he looked over to the vehicle next to his, but noticed that it was empty. He then turned to look out the driver's side window to scope out his front porch, but didn't see her waiting there either. When he looked forward again, he noticed that the gate to the back fence was ajar, and realized she must've decided to wait on the back porch._

 _Andy took his time to drag himself out of the car, and slowly began trudging towards the opened gate. When he reached the backyard he heard Sharon's voice, and immediately wondered who she could be talking to. Then he heard the faint sound of what he recognized as the kitty kibble hitting the food dish as it was being filled. He figured she must be talking to the cat. The fact that she snuck into his backyard to feed Louie almost made him want to smile, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it._

 _He stopped at the bottom of the deck for a moment and watched as she scratched the cat's ears, and listened as she quietly spoke to him, apologizing to him because he was so 'unfortunate looking', as though it was her fault. This time Andy's lips twitched just a fraction, but he still did not fully smile. He was still far too frustrated to do so._

 _Andy cleared his throat. "You know, you're going to give him a complex if you continue to rag on him about his looks."_

 _The sound of Andy's voice caused Sharon to practically jump out of her skin. "Andy!" She clutched her chest. "You scared me."_

 _He did feel a little guilty for startling her, but not enough to apologize. After all, she was the one who showed up at his house unannounced, so he decided to point that out. "It's a little late, Sharon." He clenched his fist to tamp down the frustration he felt building again. "What are you doing here?"_

 _Sharon cleared her throat, hoping to dislodge the lump that she felt. "I was waiting for you on your front porch, when Louie came up and started meowing. I thought he might be hungry, so," she lifted the hand that was holding the measuring cup used for scooping out the cat's food, "I thought I would give him some food."_

 _She really wanted to say that she got annoyed by the cat pestering her, so she decided to try giving it food to shut it up. However, she had already put her foot in her mouth once today, and decided it was best to not do so again._

 _Andy had slowly made his way up the steps of the deck as she spoke. He stopped right as he reached the top. "Sharon," he sighed, and shoved his hands in his pockets, "what are you doing here?" He asked again because they both knew she was making excuses._

 _She didn't immediately respond. Instead she returned the measuring cup back to the container that held the cat food, and placed the container back in its resting place next to the back door. When she turned to face Andy again, she finally spoke. "I wanted to talk."_

 _"I'm not really in the best mood for talking right now," he admitted._

 _"I can understand that." She took a tentative step towards him. "But I just wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier. I, uh," she cleared her throat again, "I realized that I may have jumped to conclusions, and treated you unfairly."_

 _Andy snorted. "Ya think?" He practically barked out the words. When she physically blanched, he dropped his head back and counted to five, before standing straight again to look at her. "This is why it's not a good idea for us to talk right now. I'm not sure I can control my temper at the moment much longer." He huffed out a wry laugh. "It's been hard enough keeping a lid on it so I didn't blow up at work."_

 _Sharon swallowed past the wave of guilt she felt rise up. "I'm willing to take my chances if you will give me a few minutes of your time." She laughed nervously. "At least your anger wouldn't be misplaced if you happen to lose control of your temper."_

 _Andy stared at her long and hard for what seemed like hours before he finally answered her. He pulled one of his hands out of his pockets and gestured toward the back door. "Would you like a cup of tea?" His voice was still gruff, indicating his lingering irritation._

 _Sharon sighed in relief. "Yes, please," she answered quietly._

 _Andy didn't look at her as he stalked past her to unlock the back door. He did, however, hold the door open for her and indicated for her to enter first. She waited as he shut and relocked the door, before quietly following him to the kitchen. They remained silent throughout the time that it took him to boil the kettle and pour the hot water over the tea bags. He slid one of the cups across the counter to the side she was standing on, then picked up his own and leaned back against the counter behind him. He just stared at her while sipping at his tea, waiting for her to start the discussion._

 _Sharon set her tea cup down on the counter, and used her now free hands to tuck her hair behind her ears. She momentarily glanced down toward her feet, before looking back up at Andy, directly in the eyes. "I'm sorry for the way I acted earlier."_

 _"I just don't understand what the issue was." His confusion was evident in his voice._

 _She raised her shoulders and held them up for an extra beat, before letting them drop heavily back down, as though to say she didn't quite understand it herself. "I may have let previous experiences that have nothing to do with you cloud my judgement."_

 _"You're gonna have to explain this to me a little more because from where I was standing, I was just helping out when I was asked." He bit down on the inside of his cheek to get his ire under control. "Then you accuse me of using your kids to manipulate you."_

 _Her chest tightened at the pained expression on his face. "I know," she all but whispered._

 _"What the hell was that about then?" Andy ground out the words._

 _Her eyes shifted back and forth as she thought about how best to explain. "It's just that when Jack-"_

 _Andy interrupted her before she could finish explaining. "Jack?" he asked incredulously. "As in your ex-husband, Jack?" When she nodded in confirmation, he finally did lose the tight control he had on his temper. "You're seriously comparing me to that guy?" His voice had risen to almost a shout. "I know I share a similar history with the guy, but I thought_ I, _" he pounded his chest once with his fist, "had proven to you that I'm not going to pull the same bullshit stunts that he's notorious for." He threw his hands out in exasperation._

 _"You have." Her voice shook slightly. She held up her hands in a silent request for him to take pause. "You have," she said more confidently. "Please, let me explain?"_

 _Andy pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have interrupted." He took another calming breath and braced his hands against the countertop on the opposite side of where Sharon was standing. He looked at her apologetically. "Please continue."_

 _She gave him a tentative smile in thanks, and hesitantly reached across the counter towards one of his hands. She sighed in relief when he immediately flipped his hand to intertwine their fingers and hold hers in a tight grip._

 _She shook her head to clear her thoughts, and swallowed thickly before speaking. "Almost every time Jack wanted something from me, he would show up out of the blue," her free hand waved through the air, "and he would try to weasel his way back into my good graces through the kids. The first few times it happened, they were crushed when he left again, so after that I coordinated all his interactions with them until they got older. When I reacted today, it was purely on instinct. I'm not accustomed to others doing kind things for my kids without expecting something in return. It had nothing to do with me comparing you to Jack." She placed her free hand over the joined ones, imploring him to understand. "Please, believe me when I say that I have never once thought that you were like him, and would never intentionally hold his mistakes against you."_

 _Andy tugged on her hands, guiding her to walk around the counter to stand next to him. He gazed at her intently. "I believe you." He gripped her hands harder for emphasis._

 _She offered him a watery smile in thanks. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, attempting to clear her unshed tears. "I knew I had hurt your feelings with what I said, and when I learned that you didn't even volunteer your assistance, but that you were roped into helping," she looked up at him sheepishly, "I felt even more foolish for my behavior. I wanted to apologize sooner, but you left rather abruptly before anything could be cleared up."_

 _Andy sighed and ran his thumb over his eyebrow. "Yea, I probably should've stayed, but I could feel my frustration rising, and I didn't want to behave like an ass in front of you or the kids."_

 _"I still would've preferred to handle the situation when it occurred, rather than you walking away from it. Andy, when you walked away like that," she looked away from him for a moment, and when she returned her gaze to him, it was fixed on his chest, "it hurt because I felt like you were unwilling to work through things with me."_

 _"No, no. Please don't ever think that. Sharon," he shook his head sadly, "since I've been sober, I've been accused of having ulterior motives more times than I can count." He let go of her hands, and clasped his own behind his neck, as he turned and started pacing. "I hate feeling like I have to continually prove myself, because it makes me feel like I can't do anything right," he dropped his hands from around his neck and clenched them at his sides. "and that makes me mad." He tried to smile, but it lacked any mirth and appeared to be more of a grimace. "I'm a complete ass when I'm mad, so I walked away."_

" _I understand that." Sharon reached out and grasped his arm to stop his pacing. "But I'd rather endure your temper," she tapped his chest with her palm, "than watch you walk away and leave it all unsettled. At least when you're mad, I'll know it's because you care. When you leave, it seems like you're indifferent."_

 _Andy cupped her head between his hands, and tilted it up so she was looking directly at him. "I could never feel indifferent towards you."_

 _She rested her hands at his side, and gripped his shirt tightly. "Nor could I about you."_

 _He wanted to kiss her, but there was more he needed to say first. "Just so you know, my being there today had very little to do with Emily, and everything to do with Nicole. She's the one who asked for my help, and I'm never going to turn her away."_

 _"I would never ask you to. I just made assumptions," she rolled her eyes at herself, "which is uncharacteristic of me."_

 _"We all go a little crazy at some point." He gave her a crooked grin, and it was the first real one of the night. It was short-lived though, because his expression quickly turned serious. "But Sharon, I would've done the same if it was Emily who asked for my assistance. I'd be lying if I said that it had nothing to do with her being your kid, but it would only be a very small part of the reason. She's a really good person and deserves to be helped out when she needs it."_

 _"Thank you." She leaned into one of the hands that was still cupping her face. "I may need you to be a little more patient with me." She laughed softly at his feigned panic. They both knew he wasn't the best about being patient. "This is the first time that my kids have ever met anyone I've dated," she began to nervously run her hands up and down his sides, "so it's a learning curve for me."_

 _Andy chuckled lowly. "This whole relationship is new for me in a lot of ways, so I'm more on a learning winding road." He smiled widely when she giggled at his corny joke. His gaze was intent as he stroked her cheek with one of his thumbs. "So, no more jumping to conclusions?"_

 _"No more jumping to conclusions." She reached up and grabbed both of his wrists, giving them a gently squeeze. "No more walking away, even when you're mad?" she asked with a raised brow._

 _"Nope." He cocked his head to the side and smirked. "You're just gonna have to deal with my surly self."_

 _Sharon smiled tenderly at him as she slid her hands up his sides to his neck. "I can live with that." She pulled his head towards her to finally kiss him._

 _They clung to each other tightly. It was a kiss full of all the emotions they were feeling at the moment, both apologetic and forgiving. A kiss of relief, sadness, and joy._

 _. . ._

That argument was a lesson in communication for them. A lesson they thought they had learned long ago, but clearly needed reminding of. It was the first serious relationship for both of them since their first marriages, so they were bound to make familiar mistakes along the way. The benefit was they learned from those mistakes faster, and didn't tend to repeat them. It was their first big fight as a couple, but it certainly wasn't their last. Andy wasn't joking when he told Nicole his temper had caused issues for them.

 _. . ._

 _APPROXIMATELY EIGHT MONTHS INTO THE RELATIONSHIP_

 _Sharon's gallery was hosting a large showing of several collections from well known artists around the area, and few from out of town. She had been working hard for the past few months, pulling the exhibits together, and advertising for the event. Her work days had been longer and more hectic, but her excitement had continually increased the closer she got to the big day. Since she had retired from the museum, and taken over at the gallery full-time, she had mostly put together fairly small exhibits. Tonight's show was the biggest by far, and one of the most important. Several of her former colleagues from the museum and several of their indispensable contacts were in attendance. It was an event that would determine the success of the gallery in the future._

 _She and Andy had still managed to spend a good amount of time together despite her long hours. Often times, it was spent in her office when he brought her lunch or dinner. Relatively recently they had begun staying the night over at each other's homes, which also helped. Andy had told her several times he didn't care how or when he got to see her, as long as he did. He had provided continual support that she didn't realize she had needed. Even though he wasn't currently standing next to her, she knew he was sending her silent words of encouragement as she spoke with potential new clients._

 _Andy had been surveying most of the event from the back of one of the rooms. He had arrived early with Sharon, and walked through the place a couple of times before the show began, and he was truly impressed. A substantial number of people had arrived since then, and they all seemed to be just as impressed as he was. He saw very little of Sharon since they had arrived because she was busy mingling. She had warned him that she would be occupied for the majority of the evening, and most likely wouldn't see him much. He honestly didn't mind. It was her night, and he was there to support her. If that meant standing in the back, looking like one of the sculptures, he would happily do so. And he did. He would change rooms every so often, so it didn't seem as though he was lurking. He had socialized some, with her kids and a few of the patrons that engaged him in small talk, but for the most part he just enjoyed watching Sharon talk animatedly from afar._

 _He currently found himself talking to Buzz and a couple of other guys he didn't know, but who apparently were former colleagues of Sharon's. One of them, Tray, was a younger guy about Buzz's age, and Andy didn't mind him too much. He was mostly quiet and only spoke when directly asked a question. The other guy, however, was a pompous ass in Andy's opinion, and he wanted to shove a dirty sock in whatever his name was, something with an 'R'- Roger, Raymond, Ronald - mouth. The guy was a blowhard that thought he knew everything. He and Buzz had exchanged several annoyed glances behind the guy's back._

 _Halfway through the Blowhard's explanation of the different types of lighting a museum uses, Sharon had caught Buzz's attention, wanting him to join her. Andy wanted so badly to follow him, but was afraid of interfering with a business matter._

 _After Buzz had politely excused himself and was out of earshot, 'Russell' nudged Tray next to him and nodded towards Sharon. "I bet she's going to be even more unbearable to be around after tonight." She scoffed haughtily. "She probably thinks this show is something to be proud of."_

 _Andy turned to glare at the back of the man's head._

 _Tray was smart enough to keep his mouth shut, but 'Roy' just kept talking. "She already had a permanent stick up her ass, I bet it's shoved even farther up there now."_

 _Andy clenched his fists tightly at his sides. He really didn't want to lose his temper and ruin the night for Sharon._

 _"I still can't believe she got chosen to be the director over me." He scoffed. "I was clearly more qualified. I would guarantee that she probably slept her way to the else does a woman get a job like that?"_

 _"You might want to shut your damn mouth," Andy bit out._

 _"Look, buddy," 'Rodney' turned to look at him cockily, "you don't know her like I do. I can assure you she's a bitch and not worth your," he poked a finger at Andy's chest, "chivalry."_

 _Andy took a step closer to get in his face. The guy was a good head shorter, so Andy towered over him. He opened his mouth to put the guy in his place, but before he could say anything, Sharon's voice spoke up from beside him. "Everything okay?"_

 _"Everything's fine." Andy smiled with contempt at the man in front of him. "Your old pal, Dick, and I were-"_

 _"My name is Robert," the man corrected, apparently not realizing how close he was to having Andy's fist in his face._

 _"Really?" Andy asked sarcastically. "Dick seems to suit you better." He grinned bitterly. "So I'm gonna stick to calling you Dick."_

 _"Andy," Sharon said calmly, but there was definitely a warning in her tone. She grabbed ahold of one of his hands and gripped it tightly. "Can I speak with you privately?" She didn't even wait for him to answer. "Tray, Robert, if you would excuse us."_

 _She kept her firm grip on Andy's hand and practically dragged him along to her office. She didn't say anything to him until they both stepped inside, and the door was closed._

 _"What is wrong with you?" She shoved his hand away. "You have just embarrassed me in front of my colleagues, Andy."_

 _"_ I _embarrassed_ you _?" Andy asked, incredulous. "You're," he pointed a finger harshly in her direction, "not the one that should be embarrassed, Sharon. That asshole out there," he flung his hand out in a random direction, "should be embarrassed."_

 _"I think you should leave," Sharon responded calmly._

 _"What?" The surprise was evident on his face. That was the last thing he expected her to say._

 _"I would like for you to leave." She pointed toward the door. "This is an important night for me, and I don't want it to be ruined."_

 _"We agreed there was no running away from each other when we were upset." His tone had softened significantly. He hated to think that he would be the reason her night was ruined._

 _"You're not running." She was speaking stoically. "I'm asking you to go."_

 _"How will you get home?"_

 _"I will have Buzz take me."_

 _"Are you kidding me right now?" His anger was returning at the thought that she would dismiss him like this._

 _"I'll call you later, Andy." She turned and exited the office, leaving Andy standing there dumbfounded._

 _Sharon went back to the evening's events as though nothing had happened. She wasn't fond of Robert at all, she had been dealing with his misogyny for years, but had quickly learned to ignore him. She could only imagine what he said to get Andy so riled up. She briefly regretted asking him to leave the moment the door was closed, but didn't have time to dwell on it. She was able to push the unfortunate incident to the back of her mind, until Tray had caught up with her at the end of the night._

 _"Hey, Sharon," he said quietly as he stepped up next to her._

 _"Hello, Tray." She gave his shoulder a light pat. "It's good to see you again."_

 _She had always liked Tray. He was quiet and a hard worker. She was sorry that, as one of Robert's assistant curators, he always had to endure listening to the despicable man ramble on. When she had retired, one of the head curators had moved into her place, and Tray took his position._

 _"You, too." He nodded as he looked around the room. "The show was wonderful. You should be very proud," he said with a kind smile._

 _"Thank you." She smiled, appreciative. "Buzz really did a lot of the work really." She nodded towards her business partner who was talking with someone on the other side of the room._

 _An awkward silence had settled between them, until Tray finally spoke up. "Look, Sharon," he rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "I'm sorry about earlier."_

 _"Don't worry about it." She waved off his concern. "I know how Robert is," she said with a roll of her eyes._

 _"Yea, that's the thing, your friend Andy was right to call the guy out on his crap." He shook his head in shame and quietly added, "I should've done so a long time ago, but I was too much of a coward."_

 _"He was your boss," she shrugged slightly, "so I can understand why you didn't."_

 _"And you were both of our bosses, so that's really not an excuse." He stood up a little straighter, exuding more confidence than normal for him. "I just wanted to apologize and to say don't go so hard on your friend. He was doing what he thought was right."_

 _"I'll keep that in mind, Tray." And she meant it._

 _Sharon continued to mull over Tray's words as she and Buzz bid goodbye to the rest of the guests. When she asked Buzz to give her a ride home, he looked at her perplexed for a brief second before quickly responding, 'Of course.' They were both headed to her office so she could grab her purse, and he could grab his laptop and case. When she opened the office door she was startled by Andy's presence sitting in her chair. He slowly rose, staring at her steadily, but not saying a word. He briefly broke eye contact with her to look past her and nod to Buzz, who stopped short right behind her._

 _Buzz quickly stepped around her and began grabbing his things. "I will just get out of here. See you guys later." He practically ran from the room._

 _Sharon continued to stare at Andy in shock. She couldn't believe he sat in her office waiting on her for the last two hours, even after she had asked him to leave._

 _Andy was the first to break the silence. "I'm sorry I behaved like such an ass." His tone was a mixture of shame and remorse._

 _Sharon didn't respond right away. Instead she quickly moved across the small space towards him and wrapped her arms tightly around his middle. She turned her head and tucked her face in his neck. Her lips light brushed his skin as she spoke. "I'm sorry I asked you to leave."_

 _Andy was initially caught off guard by her movement, but quickly responded. He wrapped his arms around her just as tightly, and kissed the top of her head. "I don't blame you. I ruined your night."_

 _Sharon leaned back to look up at him, but kept her arms wrapped around him. "No, you didn't. Despite that little glitch, everything turned out just fine."_

 _"It was still an important night for you and I could've ruined it all with my temper. If you hadn't come by," Andy shook his head in embarrassment, "I really might have ended up hitting that asshole."_

 _"I'm glad it didn't come to that." She raised her brow indicating that was a warning for any possible future incidences. "I appreciate the sentiment, but I really don't need you defending my honor, Andy." She rolled her eyes at the thought. "I've been dealing with Robert for a very long time, and-"_

 _"That's bullshit, Sharon." He practically shouted as he took a step back from her. "That guy deserved to have his teeth knocked in, and I would think that whether or not those vile things," he started to speak through gritted teeth, "said were in regards to you or another woman."_

 _Sharon quickly grabbed ahold of his tie before he could get too far out of her grasp, and tugged him closer again. "Okay, okay," she said soothingly. "Can we just agree that that part of the evening was unfortunate, and that we both reacted poorly?" She looked up at him, there was no point in hashing out an entire argument. They both knew where they went wrong._

 _Andy cocked his head to the side as though he was seriously considering it. He turned his head straight and slowly nodded it. "As long as we can also agree that I was the bigger ass." He slid the fingers of both hands to the back of her head, entwining them with her hair. His words may have seemed like a joke, but his stony expression conveyed just how serious he was. He felt like he was being let off the hook a little too easy._

 _Sharon let out a relieved sigh. "You will get no argument from me there." She smiled at him gratefully. She was glad that they were putting this incident behind them._

 _"Good." He lowered his head and kissed her long and hard. He had started walking her backwards, and when her legs hit the desk, he reluctantly released her lips. "Do you still want to stay at my place tonight?" he asked hopefully. "I hear there's promise of a hot bath, along with some wine and cannolis." He lightly grazed her bottom lip with one of his thumbs._

 _She kissed the tip of his thumb. "That sounds perfect."_

* * *

It wasn't long after their discussion that Dean had texted Nicole to check up on her. She didn't stay too much longer after that. Andy had finished watching the rest of the Dodgers game while Sharon attended to a few emails that resulted from her phone call, before they called it a night. Sharon was currently sitting up in bed, waiting for Andy to finish getting ready for bed. When he joined her, he didn't take his typical place next to her. He practically dove onto the bed next to her, wrapping his arms around her legs and resting his head in her lap.

Sharon giggled and ran her fingers through his hair. "You're in a particularly good mood."

He hugged her tighter and pressed his face into her thighs, muffling his responding, "Yea."

When she tugged his head so he would turn to face her, she found him grinning widely. Sharon couldn't help but giggle again. "Care to share why?" she asked curiously. The Dodgers had not won, and typically that put him in a somewhat foul mood for a brief period following the game.

"She texted _me_ and came over to talk to _me._ " His smile became impossibly wider. "I mean, I know you were there, too, which probably helped significantly, but still."

Sharon cupped his face and smiled affectionately at him. "My being there had nothing to do with it." She traced his smile with her thumb. "You two were already talking when I walked in."

"I'm still glad you were there though." He turned his head and placed a kiss to the first place he could reach, which happened to be her abdomen.

Sharon slid down so that she was lying next to Andy, and turned to face him. She propped her head up in her hand and finally said, "Me, too." She leaned forward and placed a brief kiss to his upturned lips.

Andy propped his head up as well, mirroring her position. "Other than being a little frustrated," he reached out and began playing with the hem of her nightgown, "she seemed okay, right?" His eyes flicked nervously up to hers. It wasn't until after Nicole left that Andy started thinking he may have let his excitement cloud his judgement, and he didn't provide the support his daughter needed at the time.

"Yes." Sharon clasped his hand to still his fingers where they began tickling her thigh. "She just needed some time to cool off."

Andy nodded, relieved he had not misread the situation. "I was thinking," he lifted the hand that was grasping his, and brought it to his lips, "I know we had planned on going to the movies this upcoming weekend," he paused to brush a light kiss across her fingertips, "but maybe if we modify our movie selection, we could offer to take the boys with us, and give Nicole and Dean a few hours to themselves." He had been staring intently at her hand as he spoke, but when he finished, he finally met her eyes, and smiled at her nervously.

Sharon understood his hesitation. They had not spent much time together in the past couple of weeks. She had been working longer hours while she prepared a new exhibit. The few times they had an evening together, she spent a significant amount of the time working from her phone and laptop, much like she did tonight. They had both set aside time this weekend to spend time together, just the two of them, and now he was asking to alter those plans. It didn't slip past her that he only suggested for the boys to join them for a couple of hours, rather than stay the night like he normally would.

"I think," she flexed her fingers so he would release his hold on her hand, and then rested it on his chest, "that's an excellent idea."

Before she left, Nicole had vaguely mentioned that it was her latest promotion to the accounts manager that was causing friction between her and Dean at the moment. She didn't seem overly concerned that they wouldn't work through it, but it was proving to be a challenge to find a new balance between them now that she was his boss.

"You sure you're okay with it?"

"Hmm." Her finger traced along the patch of skin that was exposed by the opening of his night shirt. "I am."

He sighed in relief before cupping the back of her head and kissing her chastely. "Thank you."

She hummed in response, and then leaned forward, sliding her hand from his chest to his back, and rested her head in its place instead. They enjoyed the quiet between them for a few moments. Andy running his fingers through her hair, and Sharon lightly stroking his back. The silence was broken when Sharon began giggling.

Andy dropped his hand to her shoulder and nudged her back so he could get a look at her. "What's so funny?" His expression was one of perplexed amusement.

"Just thinking about Rusty telling the others we never argue." She started giggling again before continuing on. "It's just so funny because I don't think he was trying to mislead them. He _actually_ believes that."

It's not that they argued all that often, or that they were serious in nature, but they definitely had gone a few rounds a time or two. These days it was mostly because Andy instigated them, and Sharon allowed it.

Andy joined her when she dissolved into another bout of laughter. "Poor Nicole," he said, even though his expression was one of amusement, not sympathy. "She was really hoping there was some magical solution to avoiding arguments."

Sharon snorted. "If she only knew how often you intentionally initiated them."

"That reminds me," he reached up and tapped her nose, "I have a grievance to file with you."

"Oh." Sharon's eyes widened fractionally. "This should be good," she commented, when she noticed his attempt to quell a smile. "By all means." She made a circular motion with her hand, indicating he should proceed.

"I came home the other night to find a spoon slathered in peanut butter just lying in the sink." His tone was serious, but his charade was beginning to slip as his mouth twitched at the corners. "I don't understand why you couldn't properly cl-"

His words were cut short when Sharon clamped her hand over his mouth and she glared at him. His laughter was stifled by her fingers.

It was Andy who had the bad habit of spooning peanut butter out of the jar when he wanted a quick snack. It didn't bother Sharon that he ate it directly from the jar because he never dipped the spoon back in. What irritated her was that he never completely licked the spoon clean before placing it in the sink. She didn't understand, if he was going to eat peanut butter off of a spoon, why he never ate _all_ of it.

"Andrew Flynn." She removed her hand form his mouth and used it to shove at his shoulder, forcing him to lie flat on his back, and causing him to laugh harder. "You are incorrigible." She lifted her body over his, and stretched out on top of him. She tucked her face in his neck and continued to scold him. "You just like riling me up."

Andy sighed contently. "I really do." He began stroking her back as she relaxed more fully against him.

They didn't have any special knowledge that preempted their disagreements, at least not in the way that Nicole had suggested. They just had experience, and that was something everyone had to learn on their own. They were not misleading Nicole when they said the main difference between their relationship and hers and Dean's was the lack of specific stressors, because that was definitely true. Nevertheless, they also had the benefit of the wisdom that comes with age and first-hand-knowledge. They could try to explain to Nicole that at a certain point, everything you thought was important in the beginning can eventually seem less significant, but it was something she would discover on her own. Sharon and Andy had encountered much of the same issues that all couples do at some point, but they would both agree that experience had helped them to navigate it all more quickly. It was something they were grateful for.

-TBC-

 **A/N: I would've loved to have seen some tension between Sharon and Andy on the show, and then see how they resolved it. *sighs* Thank goodness we have fanfic. Please let me know what you thought of this chapter :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you all so much for your continual support by reading, reviewing, and favoriting this story. Y'all are amazing!**

 **A HUGE thank you to IReadAndWriteSometimes for being my beta and going above and beyond to help me get this story posted. It would not have been possible to post my last chapter without her help. You should all seriously give her a shoutout of thanks!**

* * *

CHAPTER SIX

Sharon had spent most of her adult life sleeping in her bed alone, so when she and Andy began sharing a bed, it was quite an adjustment. She has since grown accustomed to his presence next to her, and she realized she prefers it when he is lying beside would not say that his presence was necessary for her to sleep, but she did like knowing when he was there. Since moving in together, there were very few nights they spent apart, and those few were a result of that week she traveled to New York for work. Most nights she and Andy managed to retire to bed at the same time, but there had been a few occasions they were unable to because Andy worked late. During those rare occasions, Sharon would either read in bed until he arrived, or on nights like tonight, she would lightly doze, never fully falling asleep until he slid in bed next to her. It's not that sleep eluded her without him there, she could easily fall asleep if she wanted, but Sharon happened to like being awake when he arrived home. She also hated the idea of being asleep on the off-chance that something happened.

She opened her eyes when she heard the front door opening, then immediately closing again. The house was quiet again only for a moment until she heard the squeaking of the back door's hinges as it was being opened. She didn't have to physically see Andy to know he was going through his usual routine upon entering the house. After locking the door, he would hang his keys on their designated hook, and if he was wearing a jacket, it would be haphazardly tossed onto one of the rungs of the coatrack. Then, before he did anything else, he always went directly to the back patio to check on Louie's food, and usually spent a few minutes talking with and petting the cat before heading back in.

Sharon glanced over at her nightstand towards the clock, squinting so that she could make out the glowing red numbers. Andy was arriving a little later than usual. She hoped nothing happened at the restaurant that caused him to have to stay later. He had mentioned they were having issues with a couple of the servers that Mark had recently hired, and neither of them liked to leave Lydia alone to deal with them. Both guys had good recommendations from previous employers, but that hard work had yet to be seen. Andy and Mark were reluctant to fire them so soon, but Lydia was far less tolerant, and had already written them up twice. They admired her spitfire attitude and frequently commented that hiring her was one of the best decisions that had been made regarding the restaurant.

Andy quietly entered their bedroom, fully closing the previous cracked door behind him. He briefly paused next to the closet to haphazardly slip off his shoes, before heading towards the bathroom. He never turned on the light until the door was closed, afraid that he would disturb Sharon from her sleep. He was in the bathroom for a very short time, only in there long enough to take a quick shower and wash off the smell of food from working in the kitchen. When he stepped out of the bathroom, he quietly padded back over to the closet to deposit his work clothes into the hamper, and properly put away his discarded shoes. As he climbed into bed next to Sharon, he slightly startled when she rolled over to face him. He thought he had been extra quiet as he made his way through the house, and therefore didn't disturb her. Apparently he was wrong.

There was just enough light in the room that he was able to see her features. He quickly scanned her face and a frown furrowed his brow. "I hate that I always wake you when I come in late." He rested a hand against her hip once she settled against him.

"You didn't wake me." She placed a kiss over the crease on his forehead when it deepened. "I was waiting up for you."

Andy expelled a breath on a long sigh. "I hate that you feel like you have to wait up for me."

"I don't feel like I _have_ to," Sharon reached up and brushed her fingers through his damp locks, "I just like to." She then dropped her hand to rest against his chest.

Rather than speaking, Andy just rolled his eyes in response, before placing a prolonged kiss against her lips. It was clear he wasn't going to win this one. Besides, if he was honest, he also liked that she waited up for him. He enjoyed when her voice was the last he heard before he fell asleep each night.

"Everything okay?" Her gaze dropped to where her fingers had begun playing with the top button of his nightshirt. "You're getting home a little later than usual."

Andy grunted and rolled his eyes. "Yea, Mark pretended he needed to talk about important business stuff, and kept me there an extra hour."

"Pretended?"

"He pissed Ang off," Andy grumbled, "so he was avoiding going home." A hint of annoyance was detectable in his tone.

"Was he honestly too afraid to face her?" Sharon asked, while lightly laughing.

Andy's eyes widened in pretend fear and he nodded emphatically. "I don't blame him. She's vicious when she's mad."

Sharon shook her head in amusement. He always exaggerated his sister's behavior. "What did Mark do to earn Angela's ire?"

Andy shrugged the shoulder he wasn't lying on. "Probably put his foot in his mouth like he always does."

"A phenomenon you are personally very familiar with," Sharon quipped. When Andy narrowed his eyes at her, she placed a light kiss to the corner of his mouth.

"You're far too cheeky for this late hour." He pointed to the other side of his mouth, requesting for a kiss there, too. He grinned widely when she obliged.

"I haven't seen you since lunch, and you left before we could finish our _discussion_." She arched her brow at him, even though he told her it wasn't as effective without her glasses. "I'm making up for lost time."

He had intentionally riled her up earlier this afternoon, but much to his disappointment, he had to leave for work before they could finish. He was really looking forward to making it up to her. Now he was too tired to even think about it.

Andy chuckled, the sound rumbling low in his chest. "I was trying out a new tactic - leaving the scene of my crime." He pursed his lips in disappointment before adding, "Clearly it didn't work."

Sharon snorted as she laughed dryly. "It definitely wasn't one of your wisest moves."

"Duly noted." He tapped the side of his head, indicating the thought had been stored away, then rested his hand back on her hip. "I'm guessing the rest of your day was pretty boring without me here to entertain you."

"My day was very productive without you here to harass me," she easily countered.

Andy grinned crookedly. "Good thing you're stuck with me all day tomorrow." He punctuated his statement with a lazy wink.

"I may have to find an excuse to go into work tomorrow." She attempted to maintain a straight face, but failed when Andy's lips formed a pout.

"But I have big plans for us tomorrow," Andy responded cryptically.

Sharon's brows rose in surprise. This was news to her. She thought they would be having a relaxing day around the house. "Care to share those plans with me?"

"Nope." Andy closed his eyes and pretended to go to sleep, but he was unable to suppress a smirk.

Sharon just stared at him for a few minutes. She could press the matter, but she had a feeling it wouldn't do her any good. "Fine." She sighed quietly. "You really should get some sleep." She ran her finger down his nose to relieve the tension she could see there.

"I'm trying, but someone keeps talking." He cracked an eye open and grinned at her. "If you could also keep the snoring to a minimum, that would be really helpful as well."

Sharon scoffed, and pushed him away by his shoulder. They both knew that he was the one that snored. She rolled to face the other way, and scooted further away from him, but didn't get far before his arm snaked around her waist and tugged her close again.

Andy buried his nose in the space between her neck and shoulder. "I love you."

Sharon sighed and completely relaxed against him. A small smile formed on her lips. "I love you, too."

As she waited for him to fall asleep, she began to lightly stroke his arm that was draped over her. It wasn't long before his light snores reached her ears. She smiled to herself and turned her face into the pillow. She had learned to enjoy the light rasp in his throat that accompanied the slow inhalation of each of his breaths, and the sound had become a soothing one for her.

* * *

 _Andy had to take a raincheck for Sharon's request to have lunch with her earlier that day, so she had suggested stopping by his place for dinner instead. Even though she got held up at work, she still dropped by, but it was well after dinner. Andy had kept a plate set aside for her just in case, and fortunately so, because she had not yet eaten. There was even just enough wine in an unfinished bottle that she left in his fridge, allowing her to have a small glass with her meal._

 _After Sharon finished eating, and Andy loaded her dishes, they made their way over to the couch. She was sitting right next to him and resting her head on his shoulder, as he searched through the guide for something to watch on the television. There wasn't much of anything on, so Andy settled on a channel that always aired reruns of old sitcoms. Neither of them was really interested in watching the show, but it was satisfying simply being in the presence of one another after a long day._

 _During the fifteen minutes they had been sitting on the couch, continual low vibrations had been coming from Sharon's phone where it laid face down on the coffee table. Surprisingly, she made no move to check it. For the past month, she had consistently been working from her phone, even during the the evenings when she was out of the office and spending time with Andy. She would unnecessarily apologize profusely each time, before stepping away to answer the call or to send a responding email. Sharon was in the middle of preparing for a prominent event at the gallery that would be exhibiting collections from several well known artists, and preparing for it required significantly more time and effort than her typical shows. Andy honestly didn't mind that she needed to take a few moments out of their time together to handle important, pressing details. He knew just how important this show was for her and the gallery. She had been just as understanding on the occasions he had to reschedule their plans because he unexpectedly had to stay late at work._

 _Andy just barely managed to hold in a groan when another vibration came from her phone. The noise was beginning to annoy him. "You don't need to get that?" he asked, confused as to why she was still ignoring it. He hoped it wasn't because he had given her the impression that it would upset him if she did._

 _Her attention remained focused on the television, and she waved off his concern with a flick of her hand. "It's just Rusty."_

 _Andy's eyebrows lifted towards his hairline. He was even more surprised to find out she was ignoring messages from one of her kids. "You sure? It might be important." He started to lean forward, intending to grab the phone off the table for her._

 _Sharon leaned more heavily into him, preventing him from moving any further. "It's not," she assured him. "Due to the fact that she doesn't have cable at her own apartment, Emily is at the condo watching some dance competition." Once he settled back into the cushions, she twisted so that she was facing him, wrapping an arm around his middle and tucking her face in his neck. "Rusty has been bombarding my phone with texts," as if on cue, her phone went off again, "complaining about his sister's insanity." When a second vibration immediately followed the first, indicating another message, she sighed and closed her eyes._

" _Poor kid," he said on a light chuckle. "He'll eventually learn that there's nothing you can do about crazy sisters, but deal with them."_

 _She only hummed in response, relaxing her weight fully against him, as he wrapped his arm around her to tuck her fully into his side._

 _Andy shifted his head back and looked down at her. If it wasn't for the the feel of her fingers playing with the hem of his t-shirt, he would think she was sleeping. "Sharon, I know you are tired." His own fingers began twiddling with the ends of her hair. "You don't have to stay. You should go home and get some rest."_

" _I don't know how much rest I would actually get with Emily there." As she spoke, her lips brushed against the skin just above the collar of his shirt. "I'm taking advantage of your quiet house." When he made a grunting noise that said, '_ thanks for using me _', she quickly added, "And of course I want to see you, too." She placed a light kiss against his neck._

" _Mmhmm." Even though he spoke no actual words, the sarcasm could still be detected in his tone. He wrapped his other arm around her so the she was fully enclosed in his embrace, and rested his cheek against the top of her head. He was quiet for a lengthy amount of time, before finally speaking again. "Maybe you should just stay the night here then." Even with her head pressed against him, he voiced his suggestion so quietly, she almost didn't hear him over the TV._

 _Her fingers immediately ceased their movements, and her eyes sprung open, but she didn't lift her head from its resting position. They had yet to stay over at each other's house or to cross that last barrier of physical intimacy. It's not that she didn't want to, and she didn't think that Andy was actively avoiding it either, but they seemed to have this unspoken agreement that they would take their time to completely get to know each other first._

 _Andy had been upfront and honest about his dating history, so she was fully aware that he had thoroughly enjoyed his time as a bachelor. They had also briefly discussed the few partners she had during her separation from Jack. What they learned throughout their discussions was that their relationship with each other was a new experience for both of them, and therefore they were proceeding with it differently than they had done before. Neither intended for their time together to be a means to an end, and they had been progressing through their time together with the mutual understanding that their emotional intimacy would take precedence over the physical._

 _Here they were now, several months into their relationship, and she would say without a doubt that they knew each other quite well. She loved him, and she knew for certain he loved her, but she couldn't really say why they hadn't taken that step in their physical intimacy. It's not that she had been waiting for him to profess his love to her, or that she felt it was needed (she certainly hadn't share those feelings with all of the men she dated during her separation before becoming physical with them), but it demonstrated another way in which her relationship with Andy was different. It was always intended to be_ more _._

 _Though the thought of being physically intimate with Andy thrilled her, she was much too exhausted at the moment to act on it. The idea of not having to drive at home in the next hour, but instead just immediately climb into a bed to get some sleep, positively delighted her. She hoped she could convey this to him, without it seeming like she was taking advantage of his hospitality._

 _She had been quiet for too long, and still hadn't looked at him. Andy figured she was trying to determine a way to politely turn him down. "It was just a suggestion." He shifted and cupped the side of her head, lifting it off his shoulder so that he could look her in the eye. "I don't want you to feel pressured to stay the night."_

 _Sharon leaned into his touch, feeling sorry that he misinterpreted her silence for reluctance. "I don't feel pressured." She patted his chest in reassurance. "You just caught me off guard is all."_

 _Her reassuring tone gave him hope that she wasn't going to reject his offer after all. "So," he drew out the word as he traced the edge of her ear with his thumb, "you wanna stay the night?"_

" _Yes."_

" _Yea?"_

" _Yea." Sharon nodded once and let out a long sigh. "I'm really tired." She looked at him beseechingly, hoping he understood._

" _Then come on." Andy slowly stood up and held out his hand for her. "I will let you borrow some pajamas, and then I will tuck you into bed so you can get some sleep."_

 _As soon as she was standing, Sharon wrapped her arms around Andy's neck, and kissed him in thanks. She then picked her phone up off the coffee table to send Rusty a quick text letting him know she would not be coming home. She laughed quietly to herself when he simply responded, "Gross. See you tomorrow." Before following Andy down the hall, she grabbed a small cosmetics pouch out of her purse that she kept in there just in case. It contained some makeup remover wipes and a travel toothbrush, among other things that she found she needed at random times._

 _Once they reached the bedroom, Andy walked to the closet to grab some spare clothes for her. He offered her an old t-shirt that looked almost worn out, and some pajama bottoms. Sharon took only the shirt from his hand, before heading to the bathroom to change._

 _She had never actually been inside of the master bath before now. She had briefly gotten a glance at it when he gave her a more extensive tour the second time she had visited his home, but that was it. Usually when she was at his house, she always used the guest bathroom because it was closer. Now that she was getting a good look around his bathroom, she wasn't surprised by its tidiness. However, she was pleasantly surprised by the number of products that were sitting on his vanity, surrounding one of the double sinks. She sent up a silent thanks when she found a bottle of face wash, glad she wouldn't have to use just her wipes clean off of her make-up. She picked it up and stepped in front of the sink with nothing surrounding it. She made quick work of getting herself ready for bed, not wanting to linger for long._

 _When she stepped out, she found that he had already changed into his own pajamas, and he was now turning down the blankets on the bed. He told her to go ahead and climb in, he was going to brush his teeth real quick. He spent even less time in the bathroom than she did, and promptly returned to join her. He was surprised to find her sitting back on her calves at the end of the bed._

 _He raised his eyebrows questioningly. "Everything okay?"_

 _She rose up onto her knees and turned her upper body towards the head of the bed, pointing to the pillows. The movement caused her shirt to slip up her thighs. "Do you have a preference of side?"_

 _Andy's focus was immediately drawn to her bare legs. He reached up and began pulling at his earlobe, as he slowly swept his gaze up her body. When he reached her face, he noted her looking at him expectantly, as though she was waiting on an answer. "Huh?"_

 _She rolled her eyes at him, but inwardly she was thrilled by her ability to so easily distract him._ _Again, she found herself regretting that she was so exhausted at the moment. "Which side do you usually sleep on?" She narrowed her eyes at him when instead of answering, he began stalking his way toward her with a lascivious grin._

 _Andy stopped at the end of the bed right in front of her. He gripped her hips between his hands and slowly slid his hands down towards her bare legs, resting them about halfway down the back of her thighs. He smirked when she pulled the corner of her bottom lip between her teeth. "The middle," he said, finally answering her question. He quickly pecked the corner of her mouth and released her thighs from his hold. He desperately wanted to explore the rest of her enticing legs, but he knew she was far too tired for the plans that came to mind. "It doesn't matter to me which side I sleep on. You pick whichever one makes you feel more comfortable." He turned and walked back towards the door, so he could turn out the light._

 _He waiting until she had climbed under the covers before flipping the switch. When he joined her, he scooted up behind her and curled his body around hers, tucking her back into his chest. He placed a lingering kiss just behind her ear when she pulled his arm more fully around her body._

" _I used your facewash."_

 _Andy chuckled quietly at her seemingly random comment. He could hear the exhaustion in her voice. "Good," he responded, not knowing what else to say. "Goodnight, Sharon."_

" _Love you."_

" _I love you, too." He placed one more kiss behind her ear._

 _Despite feeling completely drained from the day, it ended up taking her awhile to fall asleep. It had been quite some time since she had shared a bed with another person, and she had forgotten how different it could be. Andy had almost immediately fallen asleep, and shortly after doing so he had rolled away from her to lie on his back, leaving Sharon awake with her wandering thoughts. Her unfamiliar surroundings made it hard for her to relax, and she was distracted by the sound of Andy's soft snores. The sound was not loud by any means. In fact, she figured it would be relaxing if she let it, but she was accustomed to the complete silence of her own bedroom. Eventually, she turned so that her face was buried in his arm and she let the familiar comfort of his scent wash over her and she finally drifted off._

 _The next morning Sharon had woken to the smell of Andy making her breakfast. She wanted to stay and spend the rest of the morning with him, but she had work to tend to at the gallery. When she dropped by her condo to change for work, she was bombarded with questions from Emily almost the instant she walked through the door. She had decided to stay the night once Rusty had informed her their mother was staying over at her boyfriend's. Sharon simply ignored her daughter's interrogation and headed straight to her bedroom, but not before shooting Rusty a glare for not keeping the information to himself._

 _After that night, she had stayed over at Andy's place a few more times. Each time she found herself falling asleep easier than the time before as she grew accustomed to her surroundings and the presence of another person in the bed. Those nights also played out much the same as the first - she stopped by later in the evening after work, she agreed to stay when he asked, and she simply borrowed his shirt, and curled up next to him. It wasn't until almost two weeks later that they had finally crossed that last barrier of physical intimacy._

 _Sharon had invited Andy over to her condo on several occasions, but typically their time together was spent at his house, because there wasn't an opinionated teenager around to voice his displeasure. Rusty was staying with Ricky for the next couple of days since they had plans to attend a music festival that was going on all weekend, so it was one of the more rare instances that they were at her place instead of his._

 _After dinner, they stretched out across her sofa together to watch a movie. Well, Sharon may have been watching the movie, but Andy was finding it hard to focus. She was pinned between his side and the back of the couch, with her leg thrown across both of his, and her head resting on his shoulder. She was softly tracing indistinct patterns across his chest and down his arm, while her focus appeared to be intent on the television. It was slowly driving him insane, but in a very good way. He had quickly learned that Sharon was a very tactile person, showing her affection through simple touches, whether by giving his arm a light squeeze, or by running her hand down his chest, and he adored that about her. Tonight she had been more generous than usual with the touches, and Andy didn't know how much more he could take._

 _On the return path back up his arm, she skimmed over a particularly sensitive area on the inside of his elbow, causing his arm to twitch and for him to let out a soft groan._

 _She tilted her head up to look at him. "You okay?" There was a touch of concern in her voice, but it did nothing to disguise the knowing glint in her eyes._

 _He placed a light kiss on the tip of her nose, and responded in a raspy voice, "Yeah, of course."_

 _She gave him a small smile before turning her attention back to the screen, and recommencing the gentle stroking of his arm. She managed to skirt across that same spot twice in the last three passes down his arm, confirming his suspicions that she was doing it intentionally._

 _"It's actually getting a bit late," he suddenly said, and a bit louder than he intended. He cleared his throat, and lowered his voice to a more appropriate octave. "I should probably be heading home soon."_

 _Sharon shifted so that she was resting on her elbow and looking down at him. "I thought you were staying the night?"_

 _When she suggested they spend the evening at her place because there would be no grumbling teenagers around, she assumed he understood what she was hinting at. Even if he didn't get the hint from her message, she figured he would at least catch on when she stepped up the teasing to what bordered on foreplay. Apparently, she needed to spell it out for him._

 _"It's the first time you have had the condo to yourself in quite some time," he bent his arm to grasp her hand, stilling her hand where it continued to trace small circles on that sensitive spot, "I thought you might like to enjoy it."_

 _"I am enjoying it," she said matter-of-factly, "I'm also enjoying your company."_

 _"I'm enjoying your company, too." He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed her fingertips. "A lot," he added on a nervous laugh. "Which is why I should probably be heading home now." He looked at her pleadingly, hoping she would understand what he was saying without becoming offended._

 _"Andy," she said quietly, as she scooted up closer to his face. She was now fully lying on him. "I would enjoy it if you'd stay the night." She captured his lips in a slow heated kiss, demonstrating what she was really saying. "I_ really _think you will enjoy it, too."_

 _"When you put it that way," he had to pause to swallow the lump in his throat when he was no longer able to disguise his desire and his voice croaked, "staying does seem to be the smart thing to do." When she started to turn her head to rest it back on his chest, he tangled his fingers in her hair to hold it in place. "I'm actually really tired all of a sudden," he said with all the seriousness he could summon, "maybe we should call it a night now, and head to bed."_

 _She had been torturing him all evening, and now that he knew how she intended the night to play out, he wasn't going to let her drag it out any longer; he had been waiting for this moment for what felt like forever. That was not to say that he minded waiting, because he certainly did not. Getting to know Sharon over the past several months had been a wonderful experience, but now that the decision had been made, he fully intended to see it through, sooner, rather than later._

" _I think we definitely should." She placed one more quick kiss to his smiling mouth, before pushing herself up and off him._

 _Sharon appreciated that once he figured out the game plan, Andy didn't hesitate or hold back his eagerness. Knowing that he was looking forward to the rest of the night as much as she was, helped calm the nervousness she had been feeling much of the evening. She didn't think twice about taking his hand and leading him down the hall. She had no doubts slipping into her mind when once they reached her bedroom, Andy immediately wrapped his arms around her and began kissing her insistently._

 _At one point they both got a good laugh when Andy had gotten himself tangled up in his shirt because he was over-excited and moving too quickly. It was a reminder for both of them, because Sharon was just as impatient as he was, to pace themselves. It ended up being an enjoyable night for the both of them, with more laughter, fun, and pleasure than either could remember having with a partner._

* * *

Even though they began most nights curled up together, at some point, Sharon and Andy usually gradually drifted away from each other so that they ended up on their own side of the bed. Every once in awhile, Sharon would wake up burning hot to find Andy completely wrapped around her, restricting most of her movements. It was as though he was afraid she would slip away in the night. Other times, like this current morning, she would wake to find herself completely pressed up against his back and an arm draped over his mid-section. She figured it was because she got cold during the night, and sought out his warmth.

She felt Andy shift as he lifted the covers with one hand, and lightly grabbed her wrist with the other. He began to try and gently remove her arm from around his body. Sharon immediately tensed and tightened her hold on him, preventing him from slipping away.

"Where are you going?" Her speech was slurred and her voice was heavy with sleep.

Andy instantly froze, still holding up the blankets with the hand not grasping her wrist. "It's early, you should go back to sleep." He disregarded her question, hoping she would easily drift back into slumber. He peeked over his shoulder to look at her, trying to will her to do just that.

"I know it's early," her words were interrupted by a yawn, "which is why I'm wondering why you're getting up." She buried her face in his back again, muffling her voice. "You should stay in bed." She placed a kiss on one of his shoulder blades. "We have the whole day together, so there's no rush."

"I know we do." He tried once again to make his escape, but she draped a leg over his waist. He sighed, exasperated. "But I have big plans for us today," he repeated the same words from the night before, but this time it sounded almost pleading.

That immediately got Sharon's attention, and chased away the last bit of her sleepiness. She lifted her head from its resting position on his back, meeting his gaze from where he was still glancing over his shoulder at her. She scooted back and tugged on his middle, indicating for him to roll over and face her.

"You seriously have plans?" She lightly tapped his shoulder. "I thought you were joking?" she asked, the final tap turning into a shove.

Andy's face twisted into a look of amused confusion. "Why would I joke about that?"

"I just thought it was a new tactic you were using to get out of trouble." She waved her hand around in the narrow space between them. "You know distract and mislead," she rolled her eyes, "or something."

A delighted smile crossed his features. She really knew him so well. Even if that wasn't his intent last night, it was definitely something he would do. "Was I in trouble last night?"

Sharon pushed him on his back and laid her head on his chest. "You're always trouble." She smiled when his laughter reverberated through her.

"I will not deny that is usually the case." Andy winked at her when she looked up at him. "But I had no ulterior motives when mentioning my plans last night." He caught a few strands of her hair when they fell in her face, tucking them behind her ear.

"You _vaguely_ ," she gave him a pointed look,"mentioned your plans." The look she continued to give him suggested she would like him to fill her in with the specifics.

Andy simple stared back at her with the most innocent look he could muster. "It's all need to know," he said nonchalantly, "and you don't need to know," he leaned up and placed a quick kiss on her downturned lips, "yet."

Sharon pursed her lips in displeasure. "I beg to differ," she mumbled.

Andy chuckled lowly and brought a hand up to massage the back of her neck. "I can tell you that I had planned to surprise you with some breakfast pastries from that bakery down the street you love so much. Since you're already awake," he narrowed his eyes at her playfully, "I will have to slightly alter my plans." His hand moved from the back up her neck up into her hair, and he began scratching her scalp. "How about we both get dressed and go together? We can eat there instead."

"Hmm." She dropped her head forward, resting it against his chin to enjoy the massage she was receiving for a few seconds longer. She then looked up at him and smiled sweetly. "Maybe you should fill me in with the rest of your plans so I don't accidentally disrupt them again." She sweetened the request by capturing his lips in a slow kiss.

When she pulled back, Andy smiled at her knowingly. "Nice try," his thumb swept across her bottom lip, "but it won't work."

"Fine." She rolled over to lie on her back next to him and stared at the ceiling. "And to answer your question, I would love to go with you." She was not someone who would ever be accused of pouting, but her current behavior was nearing pouting territory.

Andy twisted and positioned himself so that he was hovering just over her. He looked down at her with a goofy crooked grin. "I promise," he pecked the tip of her nose quickly, "you will enjoy everything I have planned for today."

Sharon wrapped her arms around his back and tugged him down so that his weight was resting against her. "I'm going to hold you to that." She ran one hand up his back to the back of his head, so she could pull him down for a proper kiss.

-TBC-

 **A/N: Apologies to those of you who wished for the scene to not fade to black, but writing anything more would go beyond my comfort level. I hope you all still enjoyed this chapter anyways. Please leave a review and let me know what you think!**


	7. Chapter 7

**I apologize for my lengthy absence. Things got a little busy for me, and I was finding it hard to find time to sit down and write. I am incredibly grateful to all of you that have stuck with me this far. Y'all are truly the best!**

 **A huge thank you to my partner in crime, IReadAndWriteSometimes, for keeping me motivated and putting up with all of my crazy in the process.**

* * *

CHAPTER SEVEN

They had taken their time getting ready that morning, and ended up having brunch rather than breakfast when they arrived at the bakery. Now they were slowly walking hand-in-hand through the Farmers' Market. As a result of their busy schedules, it had been almost a month since they had gone. Andy wanted to pick up a few fresh ingredients for the dinner he had planned, and Sharon simply enjoyed perusing the stands, grabbing a few staple items she had been missing since their last visit.

They were coming up to their last stop, the artisan bread stand, when Andy's phone chimed with a message. He slowed his pace to a stop and pulled the device out of his pocket. His eyebrows raised in surprise when he noticed it was from Nicole. Unless they had a big family gathering planned, she and Dean liked to spend their Sundays with the boys, separate from everyone else.

 _*_ Hey, Dad. Did Ethan leave a pair of tights at your house when they stayed over last weekend?*

Andy had taken the boys to their lesson last Friday, then he and Sharon kept them overnight to give Nicole and Dean some time together. He didn't recall seeing them, but found it odd that his daughter was just now inquiring about them.

Andy looked over the screen of his phone at Sharon who had stopped alongside him. "Did E leave some tights at the house?"

"Oh," Sharon lightly tapped the side of her head with her fingertips, "yes. I had washed them and intended to drop them off this week," she shrugged apologetically, "but I forgot."

Andy slid a hand down her arm in a gentle caress. When he reached her hand, he gave it a light, reassuring squeeze. "It's not your fault." He grinned crookedly at her. "I was the one who was in charge of making sure they gathered all of their things."

Before she had left that morning to make an impromptu visit to the gallery, Sharon had reminded Andy several times to check and make sure the boys had packed all of their stuff before he took them home. It was not uncommon for one or two of their belongings to be left behind.

"I wasn't going to say anything, but since you pointed it out," she shrugged a single shoulder and smiled a little too sweetly at him, "it is entirely your fault."

"It usually is," he playfully mumbled, while he responded to the text.

*Hey, sweetheart. Yea, Sharon found them and washed them. I can drop them off tomorrow.*

*I was hoping I could stop by this evening and pick them up.*

Andy frowned and he felt his heart rate quickly increase.

*Does it have to be tonight? I don't mind dropping them off tomorrow. I can even stop by before you take them to school.*

He didn't glance up from his phone when Sharon nudged him out of the way of the foot traffic.

*What's wrong with my stopping by tonight?*

*What's wrong with my stopping by in the morning?*

Andy was really hoping to avoid giving her the real reason if he could, but Nicole was proving to be her typical persistent self.

*Dean and I are both traveling for work tomorrow, and we will be leaving early. The boys are staying with the Nelsons tonight, and I wanted to grab the tights on our way to drop them off so Ethan would have them for tomorrow.*

Andy let out a sigh that turned into a groan. The Nelsons had a son, Ian, who was in the same ballet class as Jake and Ethan. Nicole often traded off with Ian's mom on getting all the boys to practice during the week.

"Everything okay?" There was more than a touch of concern in Sharon's tone. She had watched as the crease in his brow gradually deepened with each exchanged text.

"Of course," Andy responded a little too quickly. He tried to smile reassuringly, but it turned out to be more of a grimace. "Just trying to work around Nic's busy schedule to get them back to her, that's all." When it chimed again, he tucked the phone against his chest to hide the screen. "Why don't you go ahead and pick out the bread for tonight while I take care of this?"

"Okay," she said at length and eyed him skeptically. "You're being weird."

"I thought I was always weird," he laughed nervously.

"More so than usual." Sharon's eyes narrowed further. "If you would just tell me what you have planned for the day, there would be no need for all the subterfuge."

This time Andy's laugh was sincere. He admired her tenacity, but he wasn't about to give in so easily. Choosing to ignore her wheedling, he jerked his head in the direction of the stand and simply said, "I'll be over there shortly," and bent down to place a chaste kiss against her downturned lips.

Even though she didn't like being left out of the loop, she reluctantly did as he suggested. "I'm gonna get the rye bread that you hate so much," she called over her shoulder.

"If that's the one you want, then so be it." He winked at her when she scrunched her nose at him.

His smile quickly faded when he turned to look at his phone that had chimed two more times while he was trying to distract Sharon.

*So what's wrong with me stopping by tonight?*

*Dad?*

*Are you ignoring me now?*

"God almighty, if I could just get through this day," he grumbled as he hit the call button under his daughter's name.

When his daughter answered, he forewent any of the usual niceties. "Tonight's really not a good night, Nic."

"What's the big deal? I've dropped by on several other occasions before and you never minded."

That was exactly the point. She had stopped by several times before, and she and Sharon always ended up talking, extending Nicole's visit much longer than she intended. Typically, Andy didn't mind. He loved that his girlfriend and daughter got along so well, but tonight he didn't want there to be any distractions.

"Doesn't Ethan have a spare pair of tights?" Andy anxiously rubbed the tip of his chin. "Why does he need this exact pair for tomorrow?" He threw his hand out, then dropped it down against his thigh. When a young couple gave him a strange look as they passed by, he scowled at them.

"He ripped a hole in the others, and I don't want to go buy another pair." Her voice became muted when she covered the phone to answer the man's voice that could be heard in the background. She quickly returned to the call. "Dad, what's going on?"

Andy tried offering a different solution. "Can you stop by this afternoon while we're out? You have a key." He glanced at his watch, mentally calculating how much spare time he would have if they left now to take the groceries home and grab the tights. "Or we can drop them off at your place after we get done here at the market, when we're on our way to the musical."

"Dad." Nicole groaned in frustration. She didn't understand why he just wouldn't tell her what the issue was.

Andy rubbed a hand over his face repeatedly, mentally cursing nosy children. "I just have a dinner planned for Sharon," he tried to sound unperturbed, "that's all."

"Dinner?" Nicole asked a bit incredulously. "You two _always_ have dinner together." The eye roll could be heard in her tone. "What makes this one so special?"

Andy dropped his head back in defeat. He already almost had this exact conversation with Rusty. He hated having to tell one more person, it increased the chances of Sharon finding out beforehand.

"Nicole," Andy said in a tone that he hoped would get his point across without him actually having to say it.

There was a brief silence before a shout came through the phone. "Oh!" Andy pulled the device away from his face and cringed. Even with it no longer being held up to his ear, he could still hear his daughter. "Oh, Dad, really? I'm so excited. It's about time!" Andy rolled his eyes but couldn't help the huge smile that transformed his face. He risked lifting the phone up to his ear once again, when it seemed she had gotten over her initial excitement. He only hoped that Sharon would be just as excited as two of their kids were.

* * *

 _Dinner was in the oven, and while they waited on it to finish cooking and for Sharon to get home, Andy and Rusty sat at the table playing a game or two of chess. Andy honestly didn't know why he bothered; the kid kicked his ass. Rusty didn't seem to mind that he wasn't a worthy opponent though, since more often than not, he was the one asking Andy to play. They were on their second game, and other than the occasional small talk about each other's week, they had mostly been playing in silence._

 _Andy had increasingly become fidgety and distracted. He groaned when Rusty took out his knight that he had just moved. It was a rookie mistake, and even he should've known better._

" _So, uh-" Andy paused and cleared his throat, "you still have plans with your sister this weekend?" He wasn't looking Rusty in the eye. Instead he was attempting to appear nonchalant, and focused his attention on the bishop he managed to snag earlier, pinning it between his finger and the table to roll it around on its base._

 _Rusty eyed the other man skeptically. He wouldn't have thought anything of the question, if it weren't for the fact that this was the third time this week that Andy had asked him about his plans for the upcoming weekend. Realizing that something was up, he decided he might as well have a little fun._

" _Oh, uh, no," he responded, mimicking the same casual tone that Andy had used. "I'm just going to be hanging around here_ all _weekend." He was unable to control the teasing inflection that entered into his tone._

 _When he applied too much pressure, the bishop Andy had been fiddling with fell over with a thwack to the table, then rolled off the edge. "What?" he practically barked out. He shook his head and breathed out a deep sigh, taking the time it took him to retrieve the piece that had landed under the table to compose himself. "Why the change in plans?" His voice had returned to a normal octave, but his tone was still gruff and he was unable to prevent the frown that crinkled his brow._

 _It took great effort, but Rusty maintained a neutral expression during Andy's fumblings. He casually shrugged and moved a piece on the board. "Emily had something come up." He steadily held Andy's gaze, blinking innocently when the older man's face twisted further in displeasure. "Check."_

 _Andy quickly looked down at the board in surprise, trying to determine the move that was just made. Unable to focus well enough to figure it out, he decided to ignore the game for a moment. "What was so important that she changed her mind last minute?"_

 _Rusty lifted his hands in an 'I don't know' gesture. "She didn't say."_

" _She bailed on your plans," Andy's eyes narrowed, "but didn't give a reason why?"_

 _Rusty diverted his gaze. "You know Em," he vaguely answered. He wasn't as prepared for the little game as he thought, and hoped Emily's notorious whimsical behavior would be explanation enough._

 _Andy heavily sighed. "Yea."_

" _It's your move," Rusty prodded, attempting to distract him._

 _Andy nodded absentmindedly, staring at the pieces on the board, but he wasn't really seeing them. "You don't have anything else you would rather be doing than hanging around here this weekend?" he asked, delaying the game once again._

" _Nah," Rusty answered with a flimsy flick of his wrist. "Figured I would just catch up on some reading for class." Not wanting to pass up an opportunity to poke at Andy a little, he smoothly added, "Maybe see if mom wants to watch a movie on Netflix or something."_

 _Andy barely contained the groan that threatened to burst out. If Rusty suggested doing something together, Sharon would not hesitate to agree, and Andy only had himself to blame. Not wanting to raise her suspicions, he hadn't made any concrete plans with Sharon for the weekend. He figured since the kid was supposed to be gone, it wouldn't be necessary. Now he was regretting that decision, and also that he didn't come up with a backup plan._

 _Andy slapped a hand down on the table when an idea occurred to him. "What about Ricky?" His tone was hopeful and he had a smile to match. "Could you do whatever you were going to do with him instead?"_

" _You know," Rusty started, hoping he was correct in thinking this was the moment to go in for the kill, "I'm starting to get the impression that you're trying to get rid of me." He managed to supply just enough hurt in his tone to make it believable._

" _What?" Andy's spine straightened and panic overcame his features. "No… Never… That's not…" He was stumbling over his words, afraid the kid really believed that. It had been an issue when he and Sharon first discussed moving in, but he thought they were past that. "Why would you say that?"_

 _The corners of Rusty's mouth twitched, almost giving away his delight in having Andy right where he wanted him. "You keep harassing me about my plans this weekend and you flipped out when I said they got cancelled."_

" _I did_ not, _" he emphasized with a point of his finger, "flip out."_

" _Yea, you did." Rusty looked at him pointedly, "You're practically sweating bullets over there."_

 _It was a bit of an exaggeration, but Rusty had a point. He failed miserably at keeping his cool, and now the kid was on to him. "I just have a dinner planned for your mom and me here at the house," he shrugged, "that's it." It was the truth after all–for the most part._

" _You two always have dinner together," Rusty rolled his eyes, "what makes this one so special?" He laughed as he added, "You planning on proposing or something?" His eyes widened when his mother's boyfriend just stared intently back at him with a raised brow. "Oh, my god." He stood up swiftly, knocking the chair into the wall behind him. "You're going to propose!"_

 _Andy motioned with his hands for Rusty to chill out and sit back down. "Will you keep it down?" He frantically looked around, even though they were the only two home. It would be just his luck that Sharon would walk in the door at that exact moment. Thankfully, that was not the case. "It doesn't matter now, does it?" he asked, sarcasm dripping from his tone. "Your plans have been cancelled," he threw his hands up in defeat, "therefore, so have mine."_

" _Actually," Rusty smirked cheekily, "they haven't."_

 _Andy turned his head, and eyed Rusty from the side. "What do you mean they haven't?"_

" _You were acting all weird lately," his face scrunched up and he waved his hand in a circular motion at Andy, "so I thought I'd figure out why," a mischievous smile transformed his face, "and deceiving you seemed like the best way to go about it."_

 _Andy almost lost his temper over the fact that the kid thought it would be funny to yank his chain like that, but his relief for not having to change his plans overpowered his irritation. "So," he cocked his head sideways and regarded Rusty cautiously, "your plans with your sister aren't cancelled, and you_ will _be gone this weekend?" He didn't even try to disguise the hopefulness in his voice. "Not that I'm trying to get rid of you," he quickly added._

" _Don't worry," Rusty snorted a laugh, "I never thought that, and no, your plans are not ruined."_

 _Andy was quiet for a moment, seemingly deep in thought. When he spoke again, it was much quieter and lacking his usual bravado. "You don't think they'll have any issue with the proposal, do you?"_

 _Rusty's brow momentarily knit in confusion before realization dawned on him. "You mean Ricky and Emily?"_

 _Andy just nodded. It's not that he would change his mind depending on Rusty's answer, but he thought it would be nice to know what to expect._

 _Rusty scoffed. "You're kidding, right?" He rolled his eyes. "Ricky has been waiting on you to," he made air quotes with his fingers, "'make an honest woman out of our mom' since before we moved in with you. Emily," he waved his hand dismissively, "will just be excited she can actually call Nicole her sister."_

 _Andy chuckled. The kid had a point. He dropped his head back and sighed in relief. He sat like that staring at the ceiling for a few beats before jolting upright again. "Please," he clasped his hands together in front him in a pleading manner, "for the love of God, do not tell your sister. She cannot keep a secret to save her life."_

" _Yea, she's just about as good as you in that regard."_

 _Andy groaned. "Why do you have to be such a damn smart ass?" He began standing when the oven timer went off, but he glared at the younger man over his shoulder on the way to shut it off._

" _In the words of the Lieutenant," he said referencing their grumpy old neighbor, "It's all a part of my charm." He leaned back, kicking his feet out in front of him, and intertwined his fingers behind his head. It was the perfect impersonation of Provenza._

 _Andy grunted in amusement, then began pulling items out of the fridge to prepare a salad. It wasn't long after that when Sharon arrived home. For the most part, both men managed to keep the suspicious behavior to a minimum. Any odd looks or quips could be chalked up to being part of their typical banter._

* * *

Sharon pretended to be browsing the bread options, while actually keeping a furtive eye on Andy. She trusted that she would enjoy whatever plans he had made for the day, but that didn't mean she liked being left out of the loop. That fact only made him enjoy teasing her even more. Still, she wasn't prepared to give up on trying to coax the information out of him. A small smile twitched at her lips while she watched him pace in tight circles and become increasingly more animated with the use of his hands. He could get worked up faster than anyone she knew. However, her delight was overcome by concern when he abruptly stopped and his shoulders slumped in what seemed like resignation. She was just about to go check on him, but when the group of people that had momentarily blocked her view moved out of the way, she noticed that the smile she adored so much had erupted across his face. Nicole must've given him some good news.

Deciding that everything was indeed okay, Sharon shifted all of her focus on finally choosing a bread. She didn't truly intend to get the rye, despite what she told Andy. She wasn't exactly sure what he had planned for dinner, but she had a pretty good idea based on some of the ingredients he picked up already, and she was in for a treat if he was in fact making her favorite raviolis. That thought alone had her reaching for something they would both enjoy.

After promising Nicole he would call with all the details the next day, Andy quickly ended the call when he noticed Sharon was heading back his way. As she stopped right in front of him, his face turned down into a faux pout. "How much rye will I be eating this week?" He flipped a lock of hair over her shoulder.

"None," Sharon tugged on the zipper of the light jacket he was wearing, "if you promise to make that olive oil mixture to go with this very plain italian loaf I picked out."

"You got yourself a deal." He leaned down to give her a very brief kiss.

Before he could fully straighten, she cupped his cheek and gave him one more light peck. "Did you get everything sorted out?"

"We did." He took her hand and started walking them back towards the car. "She will be stopping by the house this afternoon while we are still out."

Once Nicole was made aware of his plans for the day, she didn't mind altering her schedule just slightly to work around them. Andy was afraid his daughter's excitement would tip Sharon off, so they agreed she would drop by the house while they were out.

"Oh, we won't be there to see her?" There was no small amount of disappointment in her tone.

"Not this time," he lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it by way of an apology, "but I promise you will love where we are going."

"And where would that be again?" Sharon asked as though he had already shared the information with her.

Andy shook his head in amusement at her. He wanted to tell her she had to wait and see, but the hopeful glint in her eyes had him caving. "To go see that musical you have been dying to see."

Sharon's eyes widened in surprise. "You hate musicals though."

Andy looked at her knowingly. "But you enjoy them."

She had been planning to go with Gavin, but they could never find a time that worked with both of their schedules, particularly his. It was the final weekend that it would be playing and Sharon was disappointed she would be missing it. At the last minute, Andy had managed to snag a couple of tickets to the final matinee showing with the help of Emily. He wasn't particularly excited about sitting through the show, but he would suck it up for Sharon.

She released his hand in favor of wrapping her arm around his waist, and holding him close. "You're too good to me, Andrew Flynn."

"I don't know about that." He pressed his lips firmly against her temple. "I just like to make you happy."

. . .

The musical ended up being more bearable than Andy thought it would be, and when Sharon teasingly threatened to drag him along from now on, he found that he didn't quite mind the thought all that much. They had only been home long enough to get changed into comfortable lounge clothes, and Andy was ready to bestow his next surprise on her.

He looped an arm around her shoulders as they exited their bedroom. "Wanna help me make dinner?"

"You mean do I wanna sit at the bar and enjoy a glass of wine while you make dinner?" She retorted sarcastically.

She had offered her assistance on numerous occasions, but he always politely, for the most part, refused to let her in his kitchen while he was cooking. She had managed to cook a few meals of her own, but never one alongside him. At the restaurant, he was forced to work with others, therefore he preferred the solitude in his own kitchen.

Andy rolled his eyes. It could never be said that she wasn't capable of dishing out the snark as effectively as he did. "No," he drew out the word, "I meant what I said." He spoke slower this time, enunciating each word. "Would you like to help me make dinner?"

Sharon brought them to an immediate halt at the end of the hall. She turned so that she was standing in front him. "You're not just teasing me?" There was no disguising the eagerness in her voice.

Andy offered her a flirtatious wink. "Not this time, love."

She gripped his shirt and tugged him towards her so she could shower kisses across his face. "You hate sharing your kitchen here at home."

Andy smiled affectionately. "I've decided to make an exception."

"Why now?" she asked with a curious smile.

"Well, you've completely taken over my house," he nodded towards the living room where most of her furniture now sat, "and my wardrobe," he tugged on the t-shirt that she was wearing that happened to be his, "so I figured I might as well give in now and get you barefoot in my kitchen." He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

Sharon swatted his chest in playful admonishment. "You are in-"

Her words were cut off when Andy pressed his lips to hers. "Incorrigible," he smirked lopsidedly, "I know." Kissing her one more time before releasing her and stepping back, he gestured with his hand towards the kitchen. "Shall we?"

Sharon grabbed his extended hand and practically dragged him with her. "What are we making?" She was practically bouncing on her toes.

Andy laughed boisterously at her exuberance. "You know what we're making," he said, knowing she paid very close attention to the ingredients he picked up at the market.

The smile she bestowed on him made his heart clench in a very good way. He was now wishing he had let her join him much sooner, and silently vowed he would do so more often.

. . .

It was no surprise to Andy that Sharon turned out to be a very fastidious student, even in the kitchen. She followed every instruction he gave, right down to the the tiniest detail–except when it came to stuffing the raviolis. Despite his warnings that they would bust open when boiling, she desperately wanted to put extra filling in each of them. More than once he caught her dolloping an extra spoonful when his head was turned, and each time he would remove the excess that she had added. She claimed it was because it was the best part, but he knew she was only doing it to drive him crazy. He finally agreed to let her fill five of them with her desired amount, only because he was looking forward to saying 'I told you so'.

Andy had his back directed towards Sharon as she stood at the stove stirring the sauce while it completely heated through. He was in the process of slicing up the bread when she suddenly bumped into him, causing the knife to slice him across the finger. "Son of a-" He grabbed the dish towel that was sitting on the counter next to him, and quickly wrapped it around his finger.

"Andy," Sharon gasped. "I'm so sorry." She was now standing in front of him reaching for his towel covered hand.

Andy slightly turned away from her and swatted at her hand. "It's fine," he grumbled darkly. "It's not like I haven't been cut before."

Sharon narrowed her eyes at him, but didn't respond to his surliness. Instead, she turned to the drawer that contained a small first aid kit. Once she had it, she reached for his hand again. "Will you please let me look at it, so I can see how much damage I've done?" Her brows lifted in warning when he tried to swat her hand away a second time.

"Fine," he thrust his hand toward her. "Now you know why I don't let anyone in my kitchen," he said with a litte more petulance seeping into his tone.

Sharon tsked. "Seems to me like you should since you don't know how to properly fill a ravioli," she quipped, referencing the fact that only one of the five that she 'overfilled' actually busted open during the boiling process.

Andy's lips pressed into a thin line. "You got lucky."

Sharon smiled up at him through her lashes before returning her attention to his damaged finger. She slowly peeled the towel back, exposing the cut. "It's actually not that bad." Most of the bleeding had stopped and she could see that it wasn't too deep as she had feared.

"You got lucky again." There was a teasing intonation to his voice this time. He could tell by the relieved sigh she had let out that she was really worried she had seriously hurt him.

Sharon quickly wiped the small wound and the surrounding area with an antiseptic wipe, before wrapping it. "There." She placed a light kiss on top of the bandage. "You'll live."

Andy wrapped a hand around her waist before she could step away and tugged her tightly against his body. "Thank you, Nurse Raydor." His lips lightly trailed across her jaw to her ear. "I may need a full physical examination from you later."

She snorted at his corny line, but it quickly turned into a moan when he rewarded her with a few well placed nips to her ear and the sensitive spot just beneath it. "I'm willing to take that under consideration," she sighed when his lips brushed further down her neck, "after," she finally gathered enough strength to push him away, "we finish dinner."

. . .

After cleaning up their dishes from dinner, which Andy reluctantly allowed Sharon assist him in doing, they withdrew to the patio to relax by the fire pit. Sharon was turned sideways on the bench, with her elbow braced against the back cushion with her head pillowed in her palm, and her feet resting in Andy's lap. She had been surreptitiously observing him the past few minutes. He had gone almost completely quiet since they had finished dinner, mostly responding to her with grunts and single syllable words. At the moment, his brow was slightly furrowed as he stared into the fire and absentmindedly stroked her shins with one hand, and toyed with a toothpick in the other.

"Andy." When he only grunted, she reached out and stilled his movements by entwining their fingers. She gave his hand a light squeeze, prompting him to look at her. "Everything okay?"

Andy internally berated himself when he noted the look of concern that had settled over her features. "Of course," he quickly assured her.

She nodded towards his bandaged hand when it lifted to put the toothpick in his mouth. "You're not still mad that I made you cut yourself, are you?"

Andy scoffed a dry laugh. "I was never mad at you." He squeezed her hand when she smiled sweetly at him.

He had been impatiently waiting for this day to come for over a week, and now that it finally arrived, he was suddenly very nervous. His mouth clamped down on the toothpick one more time before he removed it from his mouth, intending to get rid of it so he would stop fidgeting. When he slipped it into his pocket, his hand brushed against the small box that had taken up residence there since he bought it.

* * *

" _I can't believe you ignored my advice," Provenza grumbled, as he trudged behind Andy._

 _The old reprobate had already been through the same rant twice, and Andy wasn't sure how much longer he could listen to it. Typically, after his grumpy neighbor got it out of his system, he would move on and be a supportive friend in his own Provenza way. Apparently, that was not the case this time. He had plenty of objections, none of which were a valid cause for reconsideration, and he wanted to make sure Andy heard every single one–multiple times._

 _Andy scrubbed a hand over his face, attempting to calm himself so he didn't physically try to shut the old grouch up. "I can't believe I thought it was a good idea to bring you along." He spoke through gritted teeth._

" _I mean seriously Flynn," Provenza removed his white bucket hat as he stepped through the door the other man had surprisingly held open for him, "the woman is already living with you," he grasped Andy's arm to make sure he was listening, preventing him from walking by, "as well as her kid," his voice raised to a higher pitch, conveying his bewilderment, "so what's the point?" He lifted the hand not gripping Andy's arm in a questioning manner._

 _Andy shrugged out of his grip. "I'm not hashing this out with you again."_

" _All I'm saying is," Provenza held his hands up in defense, "that it didn't work out for you the first time," a look of perplexity crossed his features, and his tone changed to match it, "why set yourself up for failure a second time?"_

" _You blew it five times before, but that didn't stop you from proposing to Patrice," Andy crossed his arms over his chest, and took up his own defensive stance, "so you tell me?"_

" _Because," he laughed out each syllable of the word, adding a few more in the process, "I'm so irresistible the ladies practically beg me for a proposal." That he believed his words was made evident by the self-satisfied smirk that covered his face._

 _Andy scoffed and removed his sunshades from his face to hook them through the hoop_ _on his necklace. "Oh yea?" he asked sarcastically, looking forward to wiping the arrogant_ _smirk of the old reprobate's face. "If you're so irresistible, why is it that what's her name rejected you," he reached out and flicked the other man's tie, "even after you spent a fortune buying a hideous new wardrobe from her?"_

 _Provenza's fists clenched tightly at his sides and he took an aggressive step forward and scowled up at Andy. "We agreed to never talk about that again!"_

 _Andy smirked, satisfied by his friend's outburst. "Then shut your trap and help me look."_

 _Provenza glared at the back of Andy's head for a moment longer before finally turning toward the nearest display case. He quickly scanned the first section, but only found brooches and pendants, so he moved on to the next one. He only looked at it for a few seconds before practically shouting, "There!" He jabbed his finger down on the glass. "That one right there." Each word was emphasized by a forceful tap._

 _Andy eyed the older man skeptically, doubting he had found a viable option so quickly. His suspicions were confirmed, when he stepped up to the display case where Provenza was still rapidly tapping on the glass. Andy could see the sales clerk glaring in their direction, but the young couple he was currently assisting prevented him from stepping in._

" _Knock it off." Andy swatted Provenza's hand away. "You're being a nuisance." He ignored the older man's sputter of disagreement, and peered through the glass, but gave it nothing more than a cursory glance when he noted the case's contents. "If you're not going to take this seriously, you can just go wait in the car," he practically growled out._

" _You didn't even look," Provenza shot back in disbelief, "how do you know which one I was pointing out?"_

" _There's nothing but sterling silver in that case." Andy stopped himself just short of bringing his fist down on the glass. "I might as well buy her ring out of a fifty-cent machine."_

" _Now you look here," Provenza shook his finger in Andy's face, "you're the one that said she doesn't wear much jewelry, and you were looking for something simple." He made a sweeping gesture towards the case, indicating he had found just that._

 _Andy's eyes narrowed. "Simple doesn't mean hideous_ or _cheap." He was also going to add that it was no wonder he'd been divorced so many times, since he had such poor taste in jewelry, but instead, he just turned and walked back toward the case he was looking at previously._

 _Provenza wordlessly mimicked Andy behind his back, before voicing his own rebuttal. "Well, I'm not a mindreader, how was I supposed to know what you meant?"_

 _Rather than respond to the other man, Andy started mumbling to himself, "I could've brought anyone else." His eyes rolled heavenward and he shook his head, regretting that he had only told Provenza about his plan so far. "Nicole, Emily, or even Ang. Hell," he forcefully rubbed his hand across his chin, "even Sharon herself would've been better. But no," he continued to berate himself, "I want it to be a surprise."_

* * *

"Andy," Sharon spoke quietly, drawing his focus back to her, "what are you thinking so hard about?"

He palmed the small box one more time before releasing it, and then he turned slightly so that he was facing Sharon more fully. "Actually," his now free hand reached over and trapped hers between the two of his, "I've been thinking a lot lately," he lifted their joined hands toward his lips and kissed each of her knuckles, "about you," he dropped his hands to grip each of her thighs, and tugged her closer so that she was practically sitting in his lap, "and me." His hands dropped to rest on her hips.

"Hmm," she let out one of those wonderful hums he loved so much, and draped her arm over his shoulders, resettling herself against him. "Anything in particular?"

"Yea," Andy rasped out. He had to clear his throat before he could continue. "I've kinda been reflecting back on our time together, and how wonderful it's been." His gaze briefly dropped down to where his fingers were fiddling with the ends of her shirt, before looking straight again to steadily hold her own. "It's been one helluva ride since that first date." He smirked crookedly and gave her a wink. "Even our not-so-great moments turned out pretty," he huffed out a short laugh and blandly added, "great."

Sharon laughed softly. "They did." She ran her fingers through the hairs at his temples and placed a light kiss on his jaw. "I can honestly say it's been better than I could have ever expected."

"Yea," his gaze became unfocused and a wistful smile spread across his face, "it really has." Andy's expression turned pensive as his attention returned to Sharon. "It's gonna sound crazy," he rolled his eyes at himself, "but after I first met you, and we kept running into each other," an anxious chuckle escaped him, "I was convinced that someone was giving us a sign." One of his hands lifted and he nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Like our meeting was…" He shook his head, not sure how to explain it.

"Kismet," Sharon said knowingly. She had thought the exact same thing. What else could explain why she kept running into the handsome stranger that caught her attention the first time she met him?

"Exactly." Andy sighed heavily in relief, thankful she understood. "I'm so glad I wasn't my usual stubborn self, and I actually listened to whoever," he twirled his hand in a circular motion, "or whatever it was that put you on my path."

"Me, too." Her eyes were glistening with unshed tears when she leaned forward and placed a gentle, lingering kiss against his lips.

"Anyways," he said a little too loudly, his nerves returning full force, "here we are," he gestured between them, "living together now, and that's had me thinking that could only be the beginning."

Several emotions flickered across Sharon's features as she tried to determine if this conversation was going where she thought it was going.

Andy reached inside his pocket and finally pulled out the box, setting it atop of her thigh. "Sharon." He flipped open the lid, and turned it so that she could see the contents.

She looked down to the object that he had set on her leg, and her jaw dropped. "Andy," she gasped.

"Marry me?" Andy asked quietly, just barely above a whisper.

A single tear slid down her cheek and she slowly began to nod. "Yea."

"Yea?" Andy choked out in a mixture of surprise and relief.

"Yes, of course!" she said with a teary laugh.

Andy plucked the ring out of its resting place and tossed the box somewhere behind him. He gently lifted her hand and slowly slid it onto her finger, placing a kiss over it once it settled perfectly in place.

Sharon stared down at her hand in a daze, the moment finally catching up with her. It wasn't that she was having second-thoughts, but she never imagined having a moment like this again. She was brought out of her reverie when Andy cupped her cheek and tilted her face up to look at him. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him forcefully. When he laughed happily against her lips, she trailed small kisses along his jaw and tucked her face into his neck. She was still too overcome with emotion to say anything, but Andy understood and held on to her just as tightly.

Neither of them ever expected that running into a stranger at a dance studio would change their lives so drastically, yet so wonderfully at the same time. It was as Andy had said, they were put on each other's paths for a reason, and giving in to that little nudge that fate seemed to be giving them was one of the best decisions.

~THE END~

* * *

 **A/N: I'm sad to say that this is the end of this adventure for the Sharon and Andy of this little world. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please leave me a review, and let me know what you think about this final chapter.**

 **IReadAndWriteAndSometimes and I have been given a prompt by the wonderful maidenpride, and we will be tackling that project together. We are very excited about writing it, and hope you will enjoy reading it, so be on the lookout for it!**


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